An interview with the champion:

An interview with the 2005 World Champion, the youngest ever, Fernando Alonso.

Fernando, think back to the last lap in . You are on the verge of becoming World Champion. What’s going through your mind? I was thinking about the tyres! They were on the limit, and the priority was to get through that lap. I remember asking my engineer Rod how far behind was. I didn’t want to lose third place in the final few metres. But I had a 12 second gap, so it was quite easy to manage. Of course, I started hearing funny noises. I was praying it wouldn’t rain. And then, finally, I saw the last corner…

The first thing you did on the radio was to thank the team. Was that important to you? For sure, it was fundamental. In Formula 1, nothing happens by chance, and if I managed to achieve my dream this year, it is because several hundred people have worked relentlessly behind the scenes. Everybody, from the technical directors to the people in the machine shop, has given that little bit extra that made the difference. So I told them over the radio: we are all champions. I meant it.

Then you said another thank you in China… Yes. I didn’t think anything could match Brazil. I was wrong…

Describe the podium in Sao Paulo. What were your feelings when you saw the team and the board saying ‘World Champion’…? When I got out of the car, in parc fermé, I saw the whole team and the pit-board up above, saying ‘Fernando, World Champion.’ It was fantastic. All the pressure disappeared immediately, and I just let out all my feelings. I can’t really remember walking up to the podium. The image I can see is a sea of blue below me, and loads of smiles. Some of the mechanics I worked with in 2001 were there as well. I had tears in my eyes.

When you went back to hotel, you saw the pictures of the crowds in . What did you feel? I called me Dad over to see them. I couldn’t believe my eyes. All the places I know by heart had been invaded by supporters. There were thousands of them, even in ! They were fantastic all year, and I owe them a lot: when you are driving, and you know they are supporting you, it makes you even quicker. I am proud to have won a world title for them.

What is your best memory from the season? There are so many… I think Brazil will always be the day of my life. China was a special moment too. And the , ’s home race, winning in front of thousands of fans… they are unforgettable memories.

What was your best overtaking manoeuvre this year? Without a doubt, the pass on Michael Schumacher in 130R at Suzuka. I took a big risk there. Maybe too much, thinking about it…!

What did you think when you hit the wall in ? I was attacking a lot. I got the line wrong, hit the kerb… and then the wall. But I don’t dwell on my mistakes, I look forwards not backwards. I said at the time that it was my first error of the season, and I didn’t make any more afterwards. So I am happy overall.

How have you changed this year?

I don’t think I have! When I got to Japan, two weeks after the race in Brazil, I got asked the question a hundred times by journalists: what’s changed? I don’t think I gave them the answer they wanted! I am still the same guy. I have 19 races’ more experience, and I know how to manage a championship season. But I am not a different person.

Do you still love competing? I always have done, ever since I was little. It doesn’t matter if it’s football, tennis or a Grand Prix, I always do the maximum to win. Sometimes, that’s not possible, so I give myself a more realistic goal and try to make sure I achieve it.

The team always talks about your maturity. Are you as serious away from the paddock, or do you know how to have a good time as well? If I am at the track, it is to work. I need to be professional, I am paid to make no mistakes: I am representing Renault and the work of 800 people. I am always concentrating when I am in the paddock, even out of the car. I don’t always notice all the people around me. When I go home, it’s different. I see my friends, we have a laugh and enjoy ourselves. I don’t need any encouragement to have fun…

Are you a better driver now? Yes. But I’ll be even better at the next test: I am always learning, as soon as I get in the car. Tyres, chassis, engine, there’s always something to learn and analyse.

You said when you arrived at Renault that you needed to be more sympathetic to the car. Did you manage it? I think so. I am still quite aggressive, but I know how to look after it too. I don’t try and make up for the weaknesses, like I had to in 2004. Last year, I had to dominate the car and make it go where I wanted. This year, I could work in harmony with the car, it was more of a two-way thing. Look at Imola: we had to look after the engine, the tyres, work with the team to plan our weekend. And we won.

The rules meant you had to manage the tyres carefully. Was it difficult? Not really. All the teams had to understand how to manage the tyres over a race distance, but in terms of driving style, the regulations didn’t change anything. did a fantastic job this year.

You had to rein in your aggression to manage your championship lead. Did you find it difficult to restrain yourself? Honestly? Yes. But I had to think about the overall result. I could have taken risks to get every race win, but I needed to be sensible and think about the title. We made a good start to the year, and then controlled our performance.

What did that mean in concrete terms? We managed situations differently. Look at the first corner in Silverstone, or when Montoya overtook me in Brazil. I lifted off because I was thinking about the championship. That wasn’t the case in Suzuka: I was flat out from start to finish.

How did your friends react after you won the title? They were happy. I got 300 phone calls in 2 hours in Brazil. They wanted to say well done, they were proud of me.

Did you read the press after Brazil? How did you react? Yes, on Monday evening at the airport. It was funny to see the journalists’ reactions, to read the articles. That was when I began to believe it had happened, that it wasn’t all a dream!

What tribute meant the most to you? The Principe de award. The nomination said I was an example for young people around the world, that I had demonstrated determination and modesty. That was fantastic. The King of also said my win in Brazil was a great day for the country. It means a lot to me.

Have you had time to enjoy your performance, or did you start think about 2006 and defending the title? I spend some time thinking about things at the end of the year. I had a break, recharged my batteries after a long year, and celebrated the title with my friends. But 2006 is coming up fast. Things begin in November, and the car will be ready in January. I have already seen it in the wind tunnel, where they had painted a 1 on the nose!

What will be your approach for 2006? I am taking nothing for granted. We all start on a level playing field. I hope we can make a perfect preparation, and maybe do it again. There is only one secret: working very, very hard.

Finally, when you arrived in F1, you said your job seemed completely normal to you. Have you changed your mind? In some ways, no. I still work hard at my job, and my aim is to produce the best performance. Some of my friends are travel agents, or they are window cleaners. Me, I drive a car. I am very lucky, but it is still just my job. But the thing that amazes me and that makes it so special, is the fact I can motivate a whole team. The passion of the fans is unique too. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world!

Giancarlo Fisichella: “The Best Season Of My Career”

The Renault F1 Team’s Italian star looks back over his 2005 season, and talks about the highs and the lows.

Giancarlo, how would you describe your 2005 season? There were really two aspects to the season. On one side, I competed in this championship with a top team, I gave myself objectives that would have been impossible in other years, and I am part of a world championship winning team. But on the other hand, I didn’t have an easy season, and I am a little bit disappointed by the final result. Everything started very well, with and the win in . I had two more podiums in and Suzuka, then I did some good races where the result didn’t reflect how quick I was – like or Silverstone. But in spite of that, without a doubt this has been the best season of my career.

When did you realise it would be impossible to fight for the drivers’ title? When I saw the gap to the championship leaders halfway through the season. Having said that, it wasn’t too depressing for me. This was only my first season back with the team, and I hadn’t set myself the objective of winning the championship.

How did you cope with the difficult moments, like retirements through technical problems? That is part of motor racing. What would be the point of getting angry? I took the races one by one, and each time tried to put the bad experiences behind me as quickly as possible. I forced myself not to be too disappointed, and to be always looking forward. After all, I am driving for Renault – it is a fantastic opportunity. I think this year has helped me develop on a personal level. I am a better driver now than I was one year ago.

Did you ever have any doubts? Did you ever ask yourself if you were being given different equipment? Never! It didn’t even occur to me. You only need to see how hard all the mechanics and engineers work on both to understand that it could never be the case. I always knew the team was 100% behind me, and I want to thank them for that. That relationship goes in both directions: the team supported me at difficult moments, like after Suzuka. And I did the same when I encountered technical problems.

So overall, it’s a positive verdict? Absolutely. With a bit more luck, I could have finished third in the championship, but I have still had the best season of my career.

You already knew a lot of people in the team… That’s true. I left Benetton, and returned to Renault. (my race engineer), (Executive Director of Engineering), and even (Chief Mechanic) were already there, like many others. That helped me settle in. But the team was also completely different. The size, the organisation, and the ambitions had all moved on to a new level. There was also a different mentality. I needed some time to adapt to all of those things.

Can you put your finger on what had changed in the team? A whole range of things. At , the facilities are much more developed than three years ago. There are more people working there. And finally, we have a major manufacturer running things now. The driver has a big responsibility, and he needs to be professional all the time.

You have said you have become a better driver. Why? I am not the same Giancarlo as the guy who drove for Sauber or Jordan. I am still quick, but I think I am more professional now. During two years, I restructured my personal life to be more effective as a driver. So, I moved from Monaco to Rome, near my friends and family. I changed manager. I put my house in order, basically. The aim was to make sure that when I put my helmet on, I wasn’t thinking about lots of other things.

Has your driving changed? I always give 100%. My driving style is sometimes quite different to Fernando’s: I don’t brake quite as hard, but I do it for longer, and I get back on the power more quickly on the exit of the corner. I am still learning with Renault: I worked on being more aggressive with the steering to get the front tyres working in the best possible way. But the important thing is that Fernando and I exchange information, and learn from each other. Another important asset has been my ability to overtake on track. At Spa, for example, I started a long way back after a technical problem. We set the car up to help me overtake, and it was working!

What is your best memory of this season? It has to be Melbourne! My first race with Renault and my first win…

Your worst memory? I have forgotten them all, but retiring from the lead in Montreal was hard.

What are your ambitions for 2006? I now feel completely part of the team, and some of my feedback will have been used in designing the car. It will be a season with lots of unknowns, especially with the new V8 engines. But I am ready to go for it!

Flavio Briatore: “A fantastic achievement for Fernando and for Renault”

The Renault F1 Team’s Managing Director looks back over the 2005 season, and the strategies the team employed to score success.

Flavio, how would you describe the achievement that Renault’s double championship victory represents? This is the first time that a major manufacturer who is producing cars for all the people, we have done it with a young driver and in a short time. I think it is a fantastic achievement, for Fernando and for Renault. But this is the proof that Formula 1 is like any other business. You do your planning, you stick to your targets, and you deliver the win.

What strategy did you choose to employ through the season? The strategy evolved as our competitors did. At the start, we were dominating – in for example, Fernando did the whole race without even turning up the revs on the engine. McLaren were very quick from Spain onwards, then we caught them again by China. But you know, a championship is not like fighting for race wins. You need to make sure you don’t miss your target, and our target this year was the drivers’ championship. In the end, the best overall result wins the championship, and that’s what Fernando got. After that, we went 100% for the constructors’ championship, and we proved we could do it.

The paddock seemed to think the team was just being conservative, and not really racing hard… That’s not true. You only need to look at the last race to see it: we put the risks in the car, and showed what we can do. But for sure, in some areas in the summer we didn’t take so many risks. We could have taken a new engine and gained three tenths, but with the risk of losing ten points. That’s not the way to do it. There was an advantage from the start of the season, and we had to manage it.

But were you not worried about them catching you with a quicker car? Look, in football, if you are winning 3-0 at the end of the first half, you don’t need to win 5-0. First of all, you need to make sure you don’t get beaten 4-3, then after that even if it goes to 3-2, you are still winning… With McLaren, we were 3-0 after Imola, with a gap of about 25 points from Fernando to Kimi, and that stayed quite constant all the way to the end.

It was also suggested that Renault were lucky, benefiting from so many McLaren failures… I think it is the other way round. McLaren were the lucky ones, because their engines never blew up in the race, always in practice. Look at : Kimi made a mistake, he spun, and he was less than a metre from retiring in the gravel trap. You know, Fernando in had the rain, he started thirteenth and got to the podium. It means that these things are not significant. If they have failures, it is not my fault because the technology is part of the championship as well. We took the title all the way to the last race, then we went and did the job. It was not luck that did it.

Speaking more personally, you have said you were more emotional this time than during your previous championship wins in 1994 and 1995. Why I was very new to this business, and it all came too quickly because after four years we won the title, then repeated it. It was more difficult this time around. We have a very young driver, we have the responsibility of representing a global group like Renault, and I also I have more experience. I think the more experience you have, the more difficult you find everything, for me that’s part of life. But think back to 2001. Then I told everybody we would be fighting for the title this year, and it sounded like a dream.

Was there a lot of pressure at the end of the season? We had pressure all the way through. To succeed in this business, you really need a lot of motivation, and this is the reason why I put a lot of pressure on everybody, including myself.

You have a distinctive style of management, and you get results without the technical knowledge some people deem to be essential. What would you say the secret is? A manager has to be able to translate his skills to any business, and he must deliver a successful product. In Formula 1, you need a group of good people, make them into a team, and they have to make the product, a racing car. If you do that better than the others, you win world championships. It is simple in the end.

The team has also coped with the departure of some high profile technical staff in recent seasons… You need to build the right group of people to deliver the objectives. I have never chased the big names, and that means even if one or two people leave, the heart of the team is still beating. We have a horizontal structure as well, so that when you take a decision, there is the least distance to travel for it to be carried out. That helps people know why they are doing a particular thing. And then you have the driver at the end. He translates the work done by the team on to the track, he has to deliver their hard work. But success is not about one driver, or one manager, it is about the group.

Fernando Alonso produced an exceptional season. What can you say about him? Fernando is a super guy, and he fits perfectly in the team. I have had no problems with him and he has understood what he has to do to motivate the people. You know, he was only 23 when he started this season, very young, but you also know that he is very mature. Apart from Canada, he made no mistakes at all this year, he did a demonstration year. Kimi did make some, like in the Nuerburgring or Monza. has said Kimi is the best driver out there, but I don’t see that. Fernando has done an incredible job for this team.

What about Giancarlo – he was in Fernando’s shadow somewhat this year… This happens in a team, any team. This was Giancarlo’s first year back with the team. Sometimes we made mistakes with his car, sometimes he made them and I don’t know why, but his car suffered more with bad reliability. But overall, I am happy with his job, because you cannot win a constructors’ championship with one car, it is a team effort. And if we won that title, it is because Giancarlo has done a strong job as well, just like he showed in China.

Renault F1 Team has also won the title on the fifth largest budget in the paddock, in a sport where everybody says money talks… That is because of efficiency, and it begins at the top with the management. We have a very efficient company and a very efficient team. Buying a big motorhome doesn’t make you go quicker on the track. What does that is how you run your technical departments, how you plan the future. And we are doing a strong job with that.

The team also has loyal sponsors. How important is their support? It is one of the fundamentals. I see the shirts of our mechanics and they are full of sponsors, while other teams are half empty. I think we do a good job: we are not pretentious, we know what our partners want and we deliver fantastic service and results. Our team is open, and it is easy to communicate with us and about us: there are no filters. The other thing is that we ask less money, because we spend less, and we are winning. This team is a good investment for sponsors.

What are your best and worst memories from the 2005 season? The worst was probably Monaco. We still scored points, but on the big stage, we just performed way below expectations and that was difficult to watch. As for the best? China. It was a great day for the whole team, and we did the job in the right way.

Finally, could this result be the start of a period of Renault dominance, like we have seen with ? You know, Ferrari had some lucky years in there as well, like in 2003 when other teams lost the championship rather than them winning it. Domination in this business is very difficult, because the line between success and failure is so thin, maybe a tenth of a second. But in 2006, this will be the first time we are equal to the others with the engine development. Last year, we had an old that was updated, this year was better and we have done a good job with those engines. For 2006, we will be on an equal footing, so we will still be competitive for sure. We need to do the work, prepare the season and then see where we stand.

Patrick Faure: “There is a real Formula 1 culture at Renault”

The Renault F1 Team President talks about the challenges of exploiting the world title, and what it means to Renault to win it.

Mr Faure, what strengths do you believe the Renault F1 Team has shown this season? Firstly, that of an exceptional driver. Fernando Alonso has produced an extremely impressive season. He was dependable, aggressive when he needed to be, demonstrated the strategic ability to defend, simply he has shown he is a complete driver at just 24 years old. Secondly, we have continuity of management. has been building the team for four years, and organising people in his individual and effective fashion. We began to see things come together last year, and this year Enstone, Viry and the Renault Technocentre have worked together with remarkable effectiveness. Thirdly, we have excellent technical partners like Elf, Michelin and many others who are less visible. They are an integrated part of the whole team. Our results show we have no major weaknesses, but we have maintained a friendly style of communication, and brought a different approach to the upper echelons of Formula 1.

Renault purchased Benetton just five years ago, and has now won two world championships. Others have been trying longer, with worse results. Why? We can break it down into three areas. The team has made the right strategic decisions: buying Benetton rather than starting from scratch, and selecting Flavio to lead the team, meant we were able to become competitive quickly because he knew the people already, knew Enstone and he has found us a great driver in Alonso. Secondly, Renault has a Formula 1 culture. It runs throughout the company, and we know how hard it is to win. We know you have to plan, and then work to that plan with total commitment. Finally, we have continuity. Flavio has been there for five years, and he has met the objectives every time, and there is strength in depth beyond him. It is a stable team.

The team is often said to be among the most lateral-thinking in the pit-lane. Do you think the successful adaptation to the 2005 regulations demonstrated this? I think that technical and intellectual agility is characteristic of the team. But we have also proved this year that we can develop our car and engine all the way to the end. In previous years, our rhythm had dropped in the summer and at the end of the year. This season, we have not fallen away but worked hard until the final race, and continued improving our performance. That was a key factor this season.

What are your thoughts on the first 100% Renault world champion, Fernando Alonso? He is 24 years old, and already you get the impression he can cope with anything. He keeps a cool head in the most difficult situations, he can adapt, and he shows mental agility. He can attack, defend, drive through the field when he need to. His driving skills are complete, he adapts to the individual circumstances of each race and always races to the maximum. Even more remarkably, he has made almost no mistakes all season. Plus, for Renault, there is a strong attachment to his character. He is young, Latin, bubbly, and brings great freshness to the team, and also the Renault brand. The commercial benefit has been greatest in Spanish and Spanish-speaking countries, but his vitality and spontaneous energy have reflected onto the Renault brand throughout the world.

Fernando’s team-mate was selected in 2004 to create a stronger competition within the team. Was it the right decision? I believe Giancarlo has had a difficult year because it is hard being team-mate to Alonso. To find yourself judged against somebody as talented, complete and aggressive as Fernando is very hard. But Fisico has shown the value of his experience this season. He has had technical problems, but rebounded from

them. He has driven well, but in the shadow of a team-mate enjoying an exceptional year. And he helped us win the constructors’ title with his performances, so he has done the job we wanted from him. Of course, next year he will be full integrated into the team, and I think that will help him step up to a new level.

Some observers reproach the Renault F1 Team for lacking the Renault’s French identity. How do you respond to that? I think it typifies a certain kind of misguided debate that surrounds the team. It is a debate from an old , and indeed seems to be characteristically French. has a French boss, Brazilian and German drivers; McLaren and Mercedes are represented by a Finn and a Colombian; does not have Japanese drivers. But we know that Mercedes is German, Toyota Japanese and Renault French. The teams have the values of those countries, and I find it completely normal that Renault is winning with an international mix of people, while retaining the image and values of a French company.

What are those values? Firstly, we have the Renault name, and when we win, people hear the marseillaise. That means we are creating a Renault image. Secondly, the team has warmth in its personality. We want to get spectators, supporters and enthusiasts close to the action. We don’t live in an ivory tower, and that’s why we have taken our car to Moscow, to Istanbul, to take F1 to the people. Renault’s values centre on conviviality and warmth of personality, and we try to express that through the team.

Another important value for any major motor manufacturer at this time is cost efficiency. The Renault F1 Team seems to be a model example… The principle of value for money is fundamental: we must deliver performance in return for reasonable investments. Already when we were an engine supplier in the , we had far from the biggest budget and won championships. This year, we have done the same thing again. Our budget is substantial, but still reasonable. It proves you don’t need to burn money to win in Formula 1.

What are the challenges now facing the Renault Group to extract value from the team’s championship successes? Our Chairman, Mr Ghosn, was categorical on this point at Magny-Cours in July. The most difficult thing is to win the world title, and the team has done so; now, the entire company needs to follow and exploit it. Firstly, in advertising and communication, but then in the thousands of points of sale and after- sale around the world, to explain to our customers what we have achieved. After that, the challenge is to derive further commercial benefit from Formula 1. We have discussed ranges of Formula 1 accessories that can generate revenue, and ultimately this process extends to F1 limited editions and a sportier product range. success has brought Renault a new image, and we need to reflect that in what we do next.

Finally, the objective of Renault’s Formula 1 programme was always to win the world title with a 100% Renault car. That has been done. What is there left to do? From now, I think there can only be one objective. To start again next year. It is much easier to become champions, than to stay champions. There is still plenty of work to be done.

Fernando Alonso by those who know him best

A portrait of Fernando Alonso, 2005 World Champion, by those who work with him in the Renault F1 Team.

Featuring:

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director , Technical Director Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations Rod Nelson, Chassis Race Engineer Rémi Taffin, Engine Race Engineer Pascal Aragnouet, Engine Technician Jonathan Wheatley, Chief Mechanic Chris Hessey, Number 1 Mechanic (Alonso) Edoardo Bendinelli, Physio and Trainer

[Portraits of all are available in jpeg format in the photo section]

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director, Renault F1 Team

On first meeting Fernando I remember the first time I met Fernando, in (in 2000). He was very reserved, and didn’t say very much. But he already had that characteristic total self belief. When I asked him why we should sign him for our team, he answered: “because I will win”. There was no doubt in his mind, and his performances since then have backed it up.

On winning the 2005 drivers’ championship This win in the championship is more emotional for me than with Michael (Schumacher) in 1994: I was younger then, and didn’t realise exactly what it represented. In 2005, Fernando began the season as a 23 year old, and he has done something exceptional this year. Through his maturity, he has done an incredible story. There is a great chance for Fernando to become a new Schumacher, and perhaps even surpass him one day. But you have to remember: it is always easier to become World Champion than to stay champion, and helping Fernando to do that is our challenge now.

Bob Bell, Technical Director

Fernando’s approach Fernando has been performing at an extraordinary level since the final races of 2004. That was when he really made a big step up in terms of his commitment and his personal development, I think. He was always quick, but he has also matured a lot in the past year. He is an extremely intelligent driver, who can understand problems quickly and find answers to them. He is 100% committed to his job, and that is what a team is looking for.

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering (formerly race engineer to and Michael Schumacher)

Fernando’s first test with Benetton in 2000 We saw Fernando had an incredible talent from his very first test. We often run a number of new drivers in the winter, and we do it in a particular way, letting them drive one afternoon and the following morning, to give them time to reflect and improve between the sessions. Driving an F1 car for the first time is not easy, mentally and physically, so we don’t give them too much to do.

Fernando drove in the afternoon, and he was remarkably quick and consistent. So we decided to let him do a long run of around 15 laps the next morning, and he was as consistent as the regular driver who was in the other car. I have never seen anybody get into an F1 car and drive like that. Since then, as we have got to know him better, we have seen just how special a talent he is.

On what it takes to be a champion When you are talking about this kind of driver, you take certain aspects for granted: you don’t need to explain he can drive quickly round corners. What makes a driver stand out is the added value. Firstly, the ability to race – reading a race, knowing how to manage your equipment, how to pace yourself in a race. Fernando is very good at that, a very good racing driver who knows how to spot his opportunities, and how to take them.

The other thing that is special is something I believe you see in all great sportsmen, not matter what their game or sport. That is, the ability to set themselves a personal best target every day, and achieve it. Fernando has incredible self-confidence and belief, and every time he gets in the car, he knows he can extend himself a bit further and achieve a personal best. Somebody like will hit a golf ball that bit more accurately day after day, a footballer will score more goals… Everybody sets themselves targets, but not many people achieve them all the time. I think that is something in the personality of a great sportsman or woman, and it is rarer than anything else.

As an engineer, it is hard to compare drivers between generations because Formula 1 is such a fast- moving sport. I worked with Michael (Schumacher) ten years ago, with Senna over twenty years ago, and it is hard to make comparisons. But on the human side, I see the same thing in Fernando as I saw in them: this ability to find a little bit extra, to go a little bit quicker, every time. It is an amazing thing to watch.

Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Operations

On Fernando’s ‘reliability’ In race conditions, Fernando will get the maximum from the car, and do so in an intelligent way. If there are no problems, he will put in qualifying laps with remarkable consistency. But he will do it in a lucid, perceptive manner, finding out where his competitors are and building an image of how the race is unfolding. He masters his races, in terms of his consistency and also the ability to adapt his effort and the demands he makes of his equipment. We do not hesitate to build complicated or demanding strategies around him, because we know he is capable of making them work. He is a reliable part of our package that we can always count on.

On Fernando’s generosity I think the stand-out quality is his innate generosity. You see it in his commitment as a sportsman, because he dedicates all of himself to making his car go quickly and helping his team. That is the expression of a true generosity of spirit. He bends his talent to making the car go quickly, and invests himself in what he does. You see it in his human relations too. Fernando considers every member of the team to be important, and always has a word or gesture for them. His colleagues exist on a human level in his mind.

On Fernando’s maturity Fernando always goes straight to the point. He has a very precise idea of what he needs from the car and engine to be quick, and his focus means the team does not get hung up on irrelevant information or dead ends. Sometimes, a problem cannot be solved immediately – say with the engine mapping. Some drivers would constantly highlight the problem, but Fernando simply understands you cannot solve every problem immediately, and perhaps he will be a bit slower in a practice session, but he won’t dwell on it. He copes with it, and trusts his team to solve it for the next session. There is never a wasted moment with Fernando, and that is a precious quality.

On his continuing education Fernando is from a generation that has grown up with computers – with a mouse in their hand. During a debrief, he can take the mouse from his engineers, search through the data and say, “this is what’s wrong.” And there is nothing false about it, it is natural and part of his constant desire to understand more and to improve. If his team-mate has done something better, he looks at it and learns from it; in his desire to understand, he reminds me of Ayrton Senna. Fernando is not just versatile in the car, but mentally as well, and that is displayed in how he approaches the job.

Rod Nelson, Chassis Race Engineer

On Fernando’s driving style Fernando certainly has a unique style, but it is also quite subtle. He is often talked about as being an ‘aggressive’ driver, which he certainly is, but the other important part is the control he possesses over this aggression. He doesn’t throw the car about – it is a very precise style, although he is very aggressive with the steering wheel when you watch the on-board cameras. There are circuits where this style really pays dividends, and overall I think it generally gives him a bit of an advantage. The other important thing is his adaptability: for 2005, people thought he would have trouble making his tyres last a full race distance. But the opening races showed he had understood exactly what he needed to do, and he has only confirmed that since then.

On Fernando’s in-car radio He is always very calm during the race. When you hear him talking during the race, it is as if he is out behind the trucks, and just having a chat on a Sunday afternoon. He picks the right moment to communicate: when he is braking and downshifting. That means the ambient noise is lowest, and it is the most efficient way of doing things. Usually, we get more excited on the pit-wall than he seems to in the car…

On concentration Fernando has amazing concentration during the race –you see that in his consistency – and when he is thinking about the car during a Grand Prix weekend. He is willing to listen to new ideas, to contribute

his own thoughts, and never gets lost in the detail: he can always see what information is important, see the wood from the trees. His concentration never gets disturbed, and always gives it everything in the car.

Rémi Taffin, Engine Race Engineer

On Fernando’s pragmatism Fernando works hard to set up the car and engine as well as possible during the weekend. But once it is done, he knows and accepts that is what he has to work with. You cannot always fix a problem 100%, and he understands that, and can cope with it. Even if the car is not perfect, or develops some problems, you know that he will be getting the maximum possible out of it. That is one of his big assets, the realism he brings to his job.

A case study in Fernando’s versatility: Imola 2005 [Fernando held off Michael Schumacher during the closing laps of the 2005 Grand Prix, and the manner in which he did so is a good case study of some of his greatest qualities. Rémi Taffin explains why.]

Take the example of how he kept Michael (Schumacher) behind him during the final laps. He made a rapid, and perfect, analysis of the situation. Just like any smart go-kart driver, he realised that he had to brake late, slow his competitor down in the middle of the corner, and then get a better exit so that the Ferrari was not close enough to pass at the end of the next straight. You need to be versatile to do that, braking late on worn tyres, for 13 laps under intense pressure, without making any mistakes.

The way he managed the situation with Liuzzi was incredible. He saw the backmarker ahead, and knew that if he got too close to the Red Bull, in the turbulent air, that would cost him under braking, through the corners, which could have helped Schumacher overtake. So he deliberately kept the gap constant to the car in front, while keeping the Ferrari behind, by slowing down even more in the corners where there was no chance of being passed. It is amazing to think that with the world champion so close behind, he was also controlling his relative to a backmarker ahead of him.

The Imola weekend also showed Fernando’s innate ability to find the limit very quickly in a racing car. During Friday and Saturday, Fernando only completed very few laps because we were worried about the engine’s reliability after the race in Bahrain. He only did 20 laps before qualifying – less than 100 km! And then, he put in a great lap in first qualifying on empty tanks, and did the same with race fuel in the second session the next morning. He knew how to gauge and adjust his braking points as he went round the lap, and then how to manage the engine during the race itself. It all added another dimension to his win.

Pascal Aragnouet, Engine Technician

On Fernando the human being Fernando is quite a reserved guy, but out of the drivers I have worked with during 14 years, he is an example. He never comes to the track, or leaves, without saying hello to his team – and the other guys. We have been through some tough times with him, suffering engine failures and things like that, but he always knows how to lift your spirits. And when you get a good result, the intensity of the celebration is

hard to describe. He is still a normal guy, down to earth like he was when he was three years ago. If I had to sum him up in one word, I would just say he is a fabulous driver.

Jonathan Wheatley, Chief Mechanic

On Fernando and Michael Schumacher The same fundamental thing happened to Fernando this year as to Michael in 1994. In 1994, Michael knew after winter testing the car was good enough to compete for the title and not just the odd race win. And you could see the same difference with Fernando in February, when he became even more focused.

But that didn’t change the way he acted, because the big similarity I would draw between them is that they are both genuine guys. Sometimes, you can see drivers trying to manipulate the team, but both Michael and Fernando are genuinely blokes and interested in their team. There was, and is, a real mutual respect: Fernando knows people’s names, and has a sincere interest in them. If you forget he is an F1 driver and forget everything that brings with it, then underneath you find a genuinely nice guy, who his team really respect.

Chris Hessey, Number 1 Mechanic

On working for Fernando You just cannot fault the guy: he gives 110%. As a mechanic, you work hard to prepare the car and get it ready to race. When the driver gets in, you want to know that he will give it everything to drive the car as hard as possible – and Fernando does. It doesn’t matter where he is on the grid, or how bad his weekend has been. He always gives maximum effort. And if there are new parts on the car, he will come and ask to see, to ask questions about them. You always see him in the garage. He is just a friendly, committed, easy guy to work with.

On Fernando’s development I was his mechanic when he first tested our car in 2000, and you knew straight away that Fernando was special. He was confident, and since then, it has just grown. This year, he just has this rhythm of being successful. When he knew the car was a winner, he didn’t put pressure on himself – if anything he was even more relaxed because he knew he had the ability to do it.

Edoardo Bendinelli, Trainer and Physio

On Fernando’s athleticism Physically, Fernando is very much like a sprinter – he is naturally strong, and capable of explosive efforts. He trains hard, and you see that in his races: in Malaysia 2005, for example, his drinks bottle broke on lap 2 and he had nothing to drink for the whole race. But he didn’t comment on it on the radio, he sounded calm as usual, and it was only afterwards that we realised how tough it had been for him. He loves competition as well: Fabrizio (Maganzi) and I, the two phsyios, are always playing tennis against Fernando and Giancarlo at races, or playing football. Fernando enjoys sport but really enjoys competition: that always stimulates him a lot.

A special race: a transcript of the 2005 World Championship winning

KEY Team speaking Rod Nelson to Fernando Alonso Alan Permane to Giancarlo Fisichella Fernando Alonso Giancarlo Fisichella

1330: The red light at the end of the pit-lane turns to green. Immediately, some cars leave their garages and go to the grid. Clouds are massing all around Interlagos, but there is no chance of rain. A mass of journalists and photographers crowds in front of the Renault F1 Team garage. Flashes go off in all directions when Fernando puts on his helmet and climbs into the cockpit. The RS25 V10 is fired up. Fernando lowers his visor, and engages first gear.

1334: The number 5 stops on the grid. Immediately, it is surrounded by dozens of cameras. Fernando seems tense. He takes his helmet off, speaks to his engineers, then returns to the garage to escape the rising tension.

1353: Fernando, who had hidden nearby the pit-lane, comes back to the grid and installs himself at the wheel. The siren sounds, telling journalists to leave the grid. Slowly, the crowd thins and only the team is left around the car.

1357: “Three minutes, three minutes to go” 1358: “Take off the tyre warmers. Car on the ground please.”

THE GRID IS CLEARED

1359: “Fire up.” 1359: “Ok, fire up please.” 1359: “One minute to go. Remember the fifteen second rule.” 1359: “Thirty seconds… Twenty seconds… Ten seconds”

FORMATION LAP. The red lights are extinguished, and all the cars leave the grid, following Fernando around the . The spectators are standing in the grandstands.

1401: “Fernando, keep your traction control settings as they are for the start, OK?” FA: “OK”

1402: Fernando comes to rest on pole position.

START: Fernando makes an impeccable getaway. He leads the McLaren of at the first corner. Giancarlo remains third, while further back, the two Williams collide. There is relief in the Renault F1 Team garage as both cars make it through intact.

Lap 1: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren) and Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) overtake Giancarlo. Race control sends out the while accident debris is cleared up. “Safety car, safety car! Stay out Fernando.”

FA: “OK”

Lap 2: “Mixture 3 please, safety car in at the end of the lap” “Mixture 5! Mixture 5!” “Giancarlo, Jenson is right behind you. Try to pass Michael at the re-start”

Lap 3: The safety car heads for the pits and the race re-starts. Giancarlo succeeds in overtaking Michael Schumacher (Ferrari). Up front, Fernando is overtaken by Montoya’s McLaren. The race order reads: Montoya, Alonso, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Schumacher.

Lap 4: “Fuel mixture 3”

Lap 6 :Fernando sets . He is three seconds behind Juan Pablo Montoya.

Lap 7: “You need to push Giancarlo. You are seven tenths slower than Fernando.” Juan Pablo Montoya sets fastest race lap.

Lap 12: “Fernando, how is the car balance? » FA: “Good, good. Race order” “Montoya, then 4.2s, Alonso, then 2 seconds, Raikkonen, then 2.4s, Fisi, Michael and Button” “Fisi is staying with Kimi. He can put some pressure on him”

Laps 14 to 16: Fernando is running faster than Juan Pablo Montoya. The gap goes from 4.0s to 3.6s.

Lap 17: “Fernando, how’s the balance mate?” FA: “OK, OK” At the end of the lap, pit-stops begin with ’s Sauber first in.

Lap 19: FA: “Race order, race order” “Montoya, Alonso, Raikkonen, Fisi, Michael, Button”

Lap 20: “Giancarlo, you need to be two tenths faster please” GF: “OK”

Lap 21: Fernando sets the fastest lap in 1:12.824. The gap to Juan Pablo Montoya is 3.8 seconds.

Lap 23: Fernando enters the pit-lane to refuel for the first time. “Mixture five, everything’s OK. Remember the limiter.” The mechanics fill the car and adjust the tyre pressures. “First gear” The Renault restarts. “White line! Remember the white line!”

Lap 24: Giancarlo enters the pit-lane. He stops for 8.5s, and is back on track.

Lap 25: “Fernando, you can over-ride the cruise to overtake.” “Giancarlo, you need to push. Michael is stopping at the end of this lap!” “Fernando, Michael and Jenson are stopping. You will be P3”

Lap 26: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) and (BAR) refuel. The German’s Ferrari gets out ahead of Giancarlo. Fernando is running third.

Lap 28: Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren) heads for the pits. He comes out in second place, behind his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

Lap 29: Kimi Raikkonen sets fastest race lap: 1:12.178. He is attacking hard to secure P2 from Fernando when he emerges from the pits.

Lap 31: “Fernando, Michael is nine seconds behind you” Kimi Raikkonen stops. He rejoins in second position.

Lap 32: “Fernando, here’s the situation” “Montoya and Raikkonen are in front of you” “You have a 12 second lead on Michael. Fisi is 0.5s behind. Then it’s Sato, Button and Trulli”

Lap 34: “Giancarlo, Michael is slow because he is very heavy. You are losing 1.5s a lap to Fernando. You need to overtake the Ferrari. Go for it! Button and Barrichello might get past at the end of the race if you don’t do it. Go!”

Lap 35: “Fernando, here’s the situation” “Montoya first. Then 2 seconds. Raikkonen. Then 9.8 seconds. Alonso. Then 15.5 seconds. Michael. Then 1 second. Then Fisi.” FA: “OK”

Lap 37: “Giancarlo, what’s the problem? What’s happening with the car?” GF: “Oversteer. Oversteer.” “OK. Go to TCS (traction control) 6. You need to look after the rear tyres.”

Lap 38: “Fernando, how is the car balance?” FA: “All OK, OK”

Lap 43: FA: “Blue flags! Blue flags!” “Yes, there are three cars fighting in front of you. We’ve told race control.”

It is (BAR), (Toyota) and Felipe Massa (Sauber).

Lap 44: FA: “Blue flags! Blue flags!” “OK. The positions are Montoya, Raikkonen, Alonso, Michael, Fisi and Button”

Lap 46: FA: “I want a quarter turn of front wing” “OK. Quarter turn on front wing.”

Lap 47: “Giancarlo, how’s the car?” GF: “Oversteer. Oversteer.”

Lap 49: To the mechanics: “Pit-stop in 40 seconds. Tyre pressures and front wing adjustment.” “20 seconds” Fernando’s car enters the pit-lane. “Fernando, remember the limiter, limiter” Fernando stops in front of the garage. “Revs and brake” The car leaves. “Limiter! Limiter! White line! Remember the white line!”

Lap 50: To the mechanics: “Giancarlo is pitting in 40 seconds. Lower rear tyre pressures, and adjust the front wing.” “20 seconds, 20 seconds!” Giancarlo pits. The stop goes smoothly. “Limiter! Limiter! White line! White line!” “OK Giancarlo. You are in front of Barrichello. He will stop soon, but he is very quick at the moment. The are working well. Don’t let him past.”

Lap 50: ’s Ferrari heads for the pits. “Giancarlo, you can’t give up now. Fernando is doing 13.7. He us much faster than you!”

Lap 54: Montoya’s McLaren dives into the pits from the lead. Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari, running behind Fernando and who Fisi wants to overtake, also stops. FA: “Blue flags! Blue flags!” “Giancarlo, Michael is stopping. Push, push, push!” Michael Schumacher emerges ahead of Giancarlo. FA: “Is Fisi 4th, or is it Michael?” “You are third. Raikkonen is ahead. Then 17 seconds. Montoya. Then 24 seconds. Alonso. Then 15.8 seconds. Michael. Then 4.9 seconds. Fisi. Everybody has stopped apart from Raikkonen.”

Lap 59: “Giancarlo, it may rain before the end of the race, so stay with Michael.” GF: “It’s not easy mate” “OK”

Lap 61: Kimi Raikkonen pits and emerges second, behind Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren).

Lap 66: Flavio comes off the pit-wall and heads for the garage. Spectators hold their breath: is there a problem? In fact, the Managing Director is just answering a call of nature…

Lap 67: Flavio returns to the pit-wall. “OK, here’s the situation” “Montoya. Then 1.2 seconds. Then 17.7 seconds. Alonso. Then 17.5 seconds. Michael. Then 5.1 seconds. Fisi.” Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering, and Team Manager study the sky. There are only five laps left. Will it rain?

Lap 68: “Fernando, if it starts to rain, just make sure you get to the finish” FA: “It won’t rain mate. No rain!”

Lap 71 Fernando begins his last lap of the race. The Renault personnel runs to the pit-wall and climbs the fencing. The blue tide is waiting for the number 5 Renault while the engineers, studying their screens, have a last look at the real-time telemetry. No problems: the R25 is humming along nicely. FA: “What’s the gap? Gap to Michael?” “12 seconds. All OK”

End of lap 71: When the R25 appears on the horizon, the garage erupts. The noise is almost the same as the engine’s 60 decibels! Fernando Alonso crosses the line in third position. He raises his fists and explodes in joy over the radio: he is world champion. FA: “Yes! Yes! Yes!” “Fantastic. Brilliant. Super. Congratulations, you are world champion!” FA: “Thank you everybody. Thank you for everything…” Pause. FA: “I had problems with the tyres, I was on the limit in the last five laps…” FA: “You are the number one guys. You are the best… You are all world champions! “Great job Fernando. At every race this year.” FA: “World champions!”

A 2005 Strategy Lesson with Pat Symonds

A discussion with Executive Director of Engineering Pat Symonds about race strategy in 2005, and a look at seven case studies throughout the season – good and bad – showing how the Renault F1 Team responded to changing circumstances and performance…

Pat, what were the main changes in strategy for 2005 relative to the previous year? The changes we saw were solely down to the single tyre rule. This year, we were generally using harder tyres than in 2004. As such, the “golden laps” from the tyres – the performance advantage that comes from new tyres – was only present once, in qualifying, and couldn’t be exploited to strategic advantage. This meant that generally, we made one less stop at each race than in 2004. Secondly, the shape of the races changed. Harder tyres meant lower degradation (the amount of performance a tyre loses in normal conditions), so cars were nearly as quick at the end of their stint, on low fuel, as they had been at the start with newer tyres. This meant that particularly for the first stop and even for the second, you tried to push the stops as far back as possible to gain track position. As a result, strategies were often ‘rearward biased’, with two long stints followed by a shorter one.

Did car set-up have a bigger interaction with race strategy? Yes. We found ourselves setting up the car to look after its tyres in a number of places, especially Monaco. That was the first time we took a marginal tyre to a race, and we learned too late that we really needed to look after them…

Were you just looking to counter and out-think McLaren at most races? McLaren were obviously our main worry at most races, but when you are planning a strategy, you are always looking for those people doing something different, or having a good weekend. Toyota’s technique of qualifying with low fuel, or the pace of Button in for example – you cannot afford to ignore them as they can determine how you run your race.

Have there been any ‘rules’ that strategy has developed around? You try not to use rules, because patterns become apparent and they can trap you. We try and take things race by race, to out-think our opposition. If you work to a pattern then it makes the other team’s guessing games easier. And that’s another key point. Strategy isn’t just about what lap you stop on or your fuel loads. It is how you approach the weekend, even how you approach the entire season with your engineering decisions and how conservative or otherwise you decide to be. All of that comes under strategy.

What have you learned this year? In terms of the race strategies, you have to constantly re-learn and adapt. But I have learned that the early races really set the scene for the year. In a mathematical sense, each race is worth ten points but that view doesn’t take account of the human component, the heart of the racing. When you get that first win, it buoys up the team, they start to believe in themselves, and the wins that follow just help that grow. The early races may have the same mathematical importance, but in terms of the team’s self esteem, they are worth half as much again.

And your favourite race? China, without a doubt. We made strategic decisions all through the weekend and used every little trick to fool the opposition: running unusually in practice, being coy in our press releases. We knew from first practice that we were quick, as the simulations said we should be. After Friday, we were on the pace,

had some deficiencies that we knew could be fixed, and it was clear McLaren were not quite where they normally seemed to be. It fell into place from there…

We have selected seven races as ‘case studies’ for strategy in 2005, and examples of the team’s right and wrong approaches through the season. The tables give the very basic strategic elements in terms of pit-stop laps for both Renault drivers. The texts explain how events unfolded…

Australia, Race 1

Date 06/03/05 Total Laps 58

ALO FIS Qualifying P13 P1 Started P13 P1 Stop 1 25 24 Stop 2 45 42 Result P3 P1

Context We arrived in Melbourne confident in our pace, but unsure of our ultimate speed. In testing, we didn’t know how we could separate ourselves and McLaren, while we didn’t quite dare write off Ferrari even though we thought they were not at their usual level of competitiveness.

Furthermore, the tyre choice was conservative because it was such an unknown. We had run to 300 km on cold European tracks, but not in the heat of battle, so we decided to take quite a hard tyre to the first race. Indeed, I think that flattered Ferrari somewhat, who had a more aggressive tyre that allowed Barrichello to race well to P2.

Weekend events The weekend was dominated by the rain-affected qualifying session. This left Giancarlo in a perfect position on pole, and with a relatively easy race. Even there, though, there was uncertainty because we didn’t know what other cars the front might do in terms of strategy. In previous years we had seen that our approach to strategy in the opening races was often different to other teams, so we just maintained the courage of our convictions and did our normal thing. That seemed to suggest Giancarlo’s race would be quite straightforward, as it proved.

As for Fernando, from P13 I didn’t see much we could do in terms of strategy to help him move through the field A lot would depend on his first lap, but I didn’t expect him to be able to climb up the way he did…

Thinking on your feet What became apparent during the first stint was that the tyre degradation was very low and the car very competitive. This meant we could extend Fernando’s second stint, allowing him to run longer without penalising his relative pace too much just after his first stop. But at that stage, our gamble on the tyre degradation being low was only based on information gathered in the first stint – we were in the

dark on this as the race started. So we pushed back the second stop by several laps, and he was able to climb to the podium thanks to a combination of quick thinking and the pace of the car relative to its opposition…

Lessons The first thing was we saw the effectiveness of a rearward biased strategy under the 2005 regulations, which we learned after taking some gambles with Fernando’s race. But the surprise was the relative lack of performance from McLaren Their weekend never really came together, and Fernando was able to start behind them, overtake at the stops and finish in front.

Monaco, Race 6

Date 22/05/05 Total Laps 78

ALO FIS Qualifying P2 P4 Started P2 P4 Stop 1 25 (SC) 25 (SC) Stop 2 N/A N/A Result P4 P11

Context Since Australia, our tyre choices had gradually become more aggressive race by race. In terms of tyres, Monaco poses some tricky problems. Firstly, there is nowhere you can test effectively for the circuit so you don’t have your usual database of information about tyre performance when you arrive. And secondly, we traditionally think that single-lap performance is all that matters in Monaco – we don’t worry about degradation or being overtaken, assuming that you can keep anyone behind in Monaco. Also, we hadn’t at that stage appreciated all the different mechanisms of tyre wear as we should have done. As such, we went there with quite an extreme set-up on the car to get optimum single lap and short run performance, and the ‘raciest’ tyre choice of the year.

Weekend events The main event of the race was the Safety Car that came out on lap 25 following the crash at Mirabeau. We chose to pit both cars, and fuel to the finish. This extra fuel load added about 4% to the rear tyre energy and while it certainly exacerbated the rear tyre wear problems we were experiencing, I believe that with how the car was set up that weekend, it was inevitable we would be overtaken later in the race.

In terms of the decision to pit both cars when the Safety Car came out, I think it was the right one based on the information we had at the time. Raikkonen tried to pit but the call came too late. We did so, but Giancarlo lost a huge amount of time after his fuel flap failed to open, something that had to be done manually by the mechanics. It left us in the strange situation of finding ourselves losing performance after doing the ‘right’ thing strategically, while Raikkonen made a mistake – but was able to build a big cushion in which he could make his pit-stop as Fernando held up the cars behind him. Fernando had lost temperature in his tyres, which meant they had less grip, were generating less temperature, sliding more so wearing more, and he, like Giancarlo, found himself caught in a spiral of

exponential tyre wear. He lost position to both Williams late in the race, but was still able to take P4 and 5 points – a fantastic drive.

Lessons The real lesson we learned was the importance of tyre wear, and its different mechanisms. In 2004, degradation was our preoccupation – not pure wear. Before Monaco, we hadn’t appreciated as fully as we should have done, all the different mechanisms of tyre wear and after that race we looked at the phenomenon in a lot more detail. In retrospect, our fundamental problem in Monaco as the car had not been set up to take enough account of tyre wear, and while we may not have been overtaken until later in the race, I still think it would have happened anyway. The decision to fuel to the finish under the safety car certainly compounded the situation, but it was not the fundamental problem.

Europe, Race 7

Date 29/05/05 Total Laps 60

ALO FIS Qualifying P6 P9 Started P6 Pit-lane Stop 1 23 22 Stop 2 47 50 Result P1 P6

Context This a race where the team arrived needing to bounce back from a tough result in Monaco just one week earlier. Tyre wear was obviously at the forefront of our preoccupations after the previous race, and we needed to ensure we got a solid result to maintain championship momentum. It was not the time to be taking big risks.

Weekend events When we realised that the harder tyre was the one we would choose, we began to adapt our strategy, planning a rearward biased race with late first and second stops to take advantage of our more durable tyres . As such, we qualified with the one-lap performance disadvantage of the harder tyre and a lot of fuel on-board, aiming to stay out of trouble on lap one and then let the race come to us…

Thinking on your feet Fernando failed to get a clean start, being hit by in turn one, nearly spinning and losing position to Coulthard who held him up for almost the entire opening stint. Williams were running a three stop strategy but even with the handicap of a slow first stint, we knew the pace in the car meant Fernando did not need to worry about them. Fernando then deployed a normal strategy, running a long second stint and lapping very quickly at the end of his second stint, in spite of an excursion off track. This meant that as Raikkonen’s tyre problem developed, we were able to maintain pressure on him and this meant he pushed his car that bit too far…

As for Giancarlo, his car stalled on the grid meaning he started from the pit-lane. Already running a rearward biased strategy, the logical conclusion was to extend this to allow him to gain as much track position as possible. It worked to great effect, and he passed five cars at his second stop to bring him into P6 at the end.

Lessons The pressure we managed to apply to Kimi was not a deliberate strategy – rather a consequence of the tyre decision we made, and the strategy that it brought about. As for Giancarlo’s race, it once again confirmed the effectiveness of pushing stops as far back as possible in order to gain track position.

Great Britain, Race 11

Date 10/07/05 Total Laps 60

ALO FIS Qualifying P1 P7 Started P1 P6 Stop 1 23 25 Stop 2 49 46 Result P2 P4

Context Silverstone was very much a defensive weekend from start to finish. I think this was a product of the June test we had done, where Raikkonen had put in an extremely quick lap of 1:16.953, running what we can now say was clearly low fuel. In hindsight, I think we were slightly out-psyched by this, and we went into the race under-estimating our own pace. We expected we would need to be defensive in order to maintain our position in the championship.

Weekend events The significant racing event of the weekend was Raikkonen’s ten-place engine penalty. We had been planning a two stop race, and this forced us to adopt an even more defensive approach because we were dealing with an unusual problem – two rival cars at different ends of the grid. That meant not only did Fernando have to fight Montoya, he also needed to contend with Raikkonen coming through the field – and ensure that he did not lose track position to him. Owing to the situation in the championship, Raikkonen was our priority – even if it meant sacrificing position to Montoya.

Kimi would clearly run long in the first stint, but options then opened up for McLaren: they could have short-stopped Montoya to ensure he got track position and had him hold Fernando up through the second stint and allow Kimi to close from behind. In this event, if we were short fuelled in the second stint, we would inevitably lose track position to Raikkonen around the second stops. As such, we left ourselves the option to fuel Fernando long in the second stint to counter any possible team tactics from McLaren.

Thinking on your feet

With Fernando, we took the option of fuelling long for the second stint, to counter any possible attack from Raikkonen. We therefore extended his second stint from lap 45 to lap 49, which allowed him to protect against any possible attacks from Raikkonen later in the race. As it was, this strategy in fact served him very well against Montoya. Before the second stop, he had a 7.1s deficit to the McLaren, which had become 1.9s afterwards – and Fernando lost 3s in traffic…

As for Giancarlo, he ran a classical strategy from P6. The long first stint allowed him to gain position over lighter cars in front, so we then shorter fuelled the second stint to give him track position after the first stop, and allow him to build a gap over the cars behind. He closed on Fernando thanks to his fuel advantage of around 0.3s a lap, before then pitting three laps earlier. In the end, a stall at the second stop, following a slow first stop, cost him a podium finish.

Lessons Our approach to Silverstone remains a regret, because I think our defensiveness probably cost us a win. We had under-estimated our competitiveness and built our strategy on the assumption we needed to be defensive. But had we pushed a bit harder, we could have taken the victory…

Turkey, Race 14

Date 21/08/05 Total Laps 58

ALO FIS Qualifying P3 P2 Started P3 P2 Stop 1 13 14 Stop 2 34 36 Result P2 P4

Context In Silverstone, a conservative strategy had been coupled with good vehicle performance, and actually slightly masked our true pace. In Turkey it was the reverse: we needed to employ an aggressive strategy in order to compensate the performance deficit of the car. What’s more, we came into the weekend determined to be aggressive after being taught a lesson in Hungary. There, we had qualified low down the grid and got caught up in first lap incidents that meant we finished outside the points. So for Istanbul, the message was clear: attack is the best form of defence!

Weekend events As the practice sessions unfolded, it became clear that we were off the pace – and as it transpired afterwards, this is probably where our performance deficit to McLaren was at its greatest at around 0.8s per lap. This led us to adopt by far our earliest stops of the year, measured as a percentage of race distance: it was under ¼ distance when Fernando headed for the pits. Effectively, we ran a 2004 style ‘forward biased’ strategy, with a short first stint then two longer ones – where in 2005, the norm was for this shorter stint to come at the end of the race. The objective was to be racing the in the early laps, and to gain good track position relative to the cars behind that would allow us to get onto the podium.

Thinking on your feet The early stop left open the option of converting onto a three-stop strategy – a decision we would only make during the first stint. In the event, we chose not to and it worked out very well. Fernando was close enough to Montoya to take advantage of his late-race mistakes to take P2, while Giancarlo finished ahead of Button in spite of fuel rig problems. Given that Jenson had looked quick enough to beat us on pure pace at stages of the weekend, this was quite an achievement.

Lessons We arrived on the back foot after Hungary, and couldn’t afford the risk of starting in the field and being caught up in incidents on the opening laps. So we got good track position in qualifying and then raced to make the most of it. The strategy was not an unusual strategy per se, rather a product of unusual circumstances, namely our lack of competitiveness over the race weekend, and a logical way of adapting to it. It was a good example of how well our team adapts to unexpected circumstances, and we scored a better result than we would have done on a more conventional strategy

Japan, Race 18

Date 09/10/05 Total Laps 53

ALO FIS Qualifying P16 P3 Started P16 P3 Stop 1 22 20 Stop 2 36 38 Result P3 P2

Context Prior to the race, we were trying to think out of the box: we had just lost the lead of the constructors’ championship for the first time in the year and we knew it would need something special to get it back. However, we went to Suzuka confident in the car’s performance. We had made a step forward in Brazil, and the circuit’s characteristics are very similar to Silverstone, where we had been quick. Moreover, the pre-Suzuka tyre test at Silverstone had shown us to be very competitive with McLaren, so we began thinking about a three-stop race. It gave us lots of opportunities to place the cars in clean air and make good use of our pace, with very few downsides in terms of compromising our position. 2 stops was marginally quicker, but we expected McLaren to do exactly that as they were very confident in their performance by then, so we hoped that a nice risky strategy might help make things happen for us…

Weekend events The rain that fell through much of the weekend really put paid to the three stop idea. As it became clear on Saturday morning that it might rain during qualifying, the risk of finding ourselves at the back of the grid on a light three stop fuel load was too great to justify the risk. So we converted to a two-stop fuel

load, and planned to run a fairly normal race. Giancarlo benefited from this, but Fernando was penalised as the rain fell heavily on his lap. He therefore found himself at the back of the grid with Raikkonen and Montoya. Raikkonen certainly gained from the circumstance, as he had fuelled a long way to compensate for his engine penalty earlier in the weekend. So when the rain fell, he found himself at the back with an ideal fuel load – just behind Fernando who was much more compromised…

Thinking on your feet Fernando produced one of the great first laps I have seen in Japan. It was so good that it actually left us slightly confused at the start! When a safety car is deployed early in the race, then the logical decision for cars at the back is to pit and refuel – and it was planned that way for Fernando. However, he had much up so much ground that by lap 2, it was no longer the sensible option! After that, his race took on a much more normal pattern.

However, we were left with very little latitude in terms of his strategy. There was some suggestion that the short second stint cost him in terms of finishing position, and left him with a lot of cars to pass after each stop, but in reality it worked to his advantage. Had he been fuelled longer, as Raikkonen was, the time penalty for carrying extra fuel at Suzuka is so high that he would not have been able to overtake the cars in front like Webber or Schumacher. Indeed, we could have gone even shorter on the second stint to help him get through the traffic more easily.

Instead, the event that really cost us was the penalty from the FIA when Fernando had to slow down, allow Klien to re-pass him, and then overtake the Red Bull again on lap 11. It cost Fernando 8.8s, and without that, he would have emerged from the pits ahead of Raikkonen after the first stops. Had that happened, I am confident we could have scored a one-two finish, with Fernando’s better tyre condition allowing him to hold off Raikkonen to the finish.

Lessons Our main conclusion from Suzuka was in terms of performance: that, in spite of the rain and traffic in the race obscuring the picture, we were very nearly on McLaren’s pace thanks to developments to the chassis and aero package. It left us confident that, with the engine boost in China, we would be genuinely competing with them on pure performance…

China, Race 19

Date 16/10/05 Total Laps 56

ALO FIS Qualifying P1 P2 Started P1 P2 Stop 1 19 (SC) 30 (SC) Stop 2 19 (SC) 30 (SC) Result P1 P4

Context China was approached with a simple philosophy: win or bust. There would be no second chances after this, and we had to perform on the day. Our analysis after Suzuka showed there was nothing between us and McLaren, and then a big gap behind us to the next teams – in Japan, it had been Williams with Webber. We had an engine development coming that gave us a very measurable improvement in lap time, and the only note of caution was that our race in China the previous year had been very poor. So went to China confident, and determined to race McLaren all-out for the title.

Weekend Events We planned our strategy for the weekend with confidence and felt that if everything stuck to its normal patterns in terms of performance, then we could do it. But we also thought that if we didn’t show our rivals what the true picture was, then that would be an asset. We had stopped earlier than McLaren throughout the summer when our car was not quick enough, so if they thought that was how we were still running, it would be great as we figured they would run normally.

So, throughout Friday we ran with more fuel than normal. Shanghai has a high fuel effect and that meant we looked a bit slower than we really were. What’s more, after seeing that we were probably light on downforce on Friday, we made the unusual step of changing aero level completely with a different, higher downforce wing package on Saturday. This helped us gain performance round the lap, and also gave the drivers more confidence in the car; equally, it meant our true pace had been further masked on Friday

The other thing that became obvious as the weekend unfolded, was that McLaren were not performing to their usual level. The car did not look at ease and, as it became apparent in the race, not only had we made a step forward but they fell off their game slightly in China.

So before the race, as we planned qualifying fuel loads, we made another assessment of our pace and planned to match McLaren in terms of fuel load. We did not want to be arrogant and try to go longer on the first stint, but we targeted our first stops to be at the same point. And qualifying played into our hands with Fernando driving a mega lap, Giancarlo a very good one and Kimi making some mistakes… This left us with the significant strategic advantage of having both cars on the front row.

Thinking on your feet Qualifying set up the strategic game of the tortoise and the hare for the race. We knew that to get the win, Fernando would need a 13 second advantage at the first stops to protect against any possible problems with tyre wear later in the race, which had seemed marginal in practice. Giancarlo did the perfect job, driving a fabulous opening straight in which he blocked both McLarens, held position and then ran comfortably ahead of them.

The two safety cars required some quick reactions, but in both cases, pitting was clearly the right thing to do. It cost Fernando at least 30 seconds in total, and may have cost Giancarlo a second place finish. But had the safety car not been called out at all during the race, I am confident that the result would have been very similar to how things turned out, if not better.

Lessons China was a satisfying win thanks to the completeness of the strategic approach, from the beginning to end of the weekend. And it further reinforced the lesson that there are no rules to strategy – rules become habits, and habits only serve to make you vulnerable to your competitors. That is the real lesson we take into the winter to avoid any complacency for 2006.

The secrets of the R25 with Bob Bell

A profile of Bob Bell

The desk is neat and tidy. On the walls, there are calendars for car-builds and forthcoming deadlines. Looking out over the Enstone wind tunnel, this well-lit, organised office oozes efficiency. “I accepted the job of technical director without a second thought, two years ago,” smiles Bob Bell. “I was in the middle of the 2004 programme when Flavio Briatore offered it to me. I didn’t have much time to think about it!” The engineer knows the team’s philosophy is one he shares. He was the automatic choice for the role: it fitted with the team’s desire to promote internally, something the Renault F1 Team tries to do at every level of the organisation. “Of course, we belong to a global group with Renault. But the F1 operations are still a sensible size. It means we can react quickly: we are like a commando group, working with our own methods,” he continues.

Bob first came into contact with the world of F1 during the turbo era, in the 1980s. “I remember noticing the sport for the first time thanks to Renault: they had an innovative engine concept that fascinated me. It showed real lateral thinking. At that time, you could make huge leaps in development from one day to the next. It was a kind of golden age…” remembers Bob, a trained aerodynamicist. After a short stint in the aviation industry, the inertia and long-winded processes had become too much. Bob was looking for something fast-paced and immediate. He joined McLaren in 1982, stayed nine years and led the Maverick world land-speed record project. The project was still born, but the passion for F1 stuck.

Bob worked for several teams before joining Renault in 2002. “The thing I love most about the job is the team spirit,” Bob explains without hesitation. “We work together, pushing in the same direction, and when we get the rewards, it is not as individuals but as a team. The current technical regulations don’t allow us to make giant steps forward, so you need to make a constant effort to keep moving forward. It is an incredibly motivating job. I wouldn’t change it for the world.” The chassis technical director finds a special atmosphere at Renault, something that makes him confident that the successes of 2005 are not a flash in the pan. “In the space of a few years, the team spirit has really grown,” he explains. “Enstone and Viry work in perfect harmony. The R25 demonstrates that very clearly.” As for the future, Bob is optimistic. But he will be watching from his office, attending no more than a handful of races each season. “My place is here,” he concludes. “It’s where I can make a difference.”

The secrets of the R25

The general philosophy “This year’s car was designed as an evolution. We tried to bring together the strong points of our last two cars. Last year, the mechanical structure of the car was compromised by the late change of engine architecture but for 2005, we were able to gain back the qualities of the 2003 car. The new V10 had a much lower centre of gravity than 2004, and a much stiffer installation. We also worked to optimise each detail: improved overall stiffness, reduced weight, and tighter packaging of the mechanical components to give our aerodynamicists freedom to work. The R25 is the best optimised Renault F1 car I have worked on.”

Aerodynamics are king “Increasing downforce is the most cost effective method for improving performance. It is the reason why we took the risk of allocating a lot of wind tunnel time to the 2005 car back in July 2004, when the first details of the new regulations were published. The rules had a big impact on the aero performance,

initially costing more than 20%, but we were encouraged by the initial gains in the wind tunnel and steadily improve the aero efficiency of the car through the season. The hard work on making the packaging as neat as possible gave the aero team lots of freedom to gain back the downforce. By the end of the 2005 season, we were back to figures similar to 2004. So what part am I proudest of? It’s hard to say. But I am particularly pleased with the work on the front wing, and the attention to detail in this area.”

A giant leap forward: Step 11 “With the R25, we had a completely new electronics system that brought together the engine and chassis electronics in a single unit for the first time. Firstly, it is a lighter system: it represented 25% of the weight saved on the car during the 2004-5 winter. What’s more, it is a clear advantage in terms of development. Beforehand, we experienced some delays in how we controlled the car because we had two boxes that needed to communicate. With our new integrated system, we have four times greater processing capacity and ten times more data acquisition capability. That all meant our control systems, such as the traction control, were much more effective.”

V-keel: an elegant solution “This year, we used an innovative approach with our ‘V-keel’ front suspension. In recent years, two contrasting philosophies had developed: a traditional ‘single keel’ school of thought using a single lower wishbone, like on the Ferrari; and a ‘twin keel’ school which cleared the area beneath the car for improved aero performance… but perhaps sacrificed some structural stiffness. I think our v-keel was an elegant solution to this dilemma. Other teams took different approaches, but I think our system combined the advantages of both systems: it brings an aerodynamic advantage for little structural penalty, while allowing us to retain our preferred mechanical configuration. It was an idea proposed by our head of aerodynamics Toso last year. It was the kind of idea that seems so simple, you wonder why it hasn’t already been thought of!”

Weight distribution “It is a philosophy we have developed at the Renault F1 Team: we optimise our performance around a more rearward weight distribution. There is no wrong or right answer in this area. McLaren, for example, has its weight much more forward. They are two different philosophies, both developed to their most extreme expressions. However, you would need to completely re-design the car to switch from one to the other. It is like having two climbers, on two different mountains of approximately the same height, and who are looking across at each other to see who has managed to climb that bit higher…”

The fathers of R25 “During the 2005 season, 505 people were working at Enstone. That figure climbs to 540 if you include consultants. Of them, around 370 worked on technical projects: 40 in the Design Office, 60 in the aero department, 20 in R&D etc…”

Development: a different R25 at every race “We decided early on to be very aggressive in our development of the R25. The proof came in the fact that we introduced a big aero package in Brazil, and even suspension developments in Japan. We gained over 10% in aero efficiency from the first to last races. Horsepower increased, and we saved several kilos. If the R25 from China went back to Australia, it would be around a second faster.”

The strengths of the package “They were numerous. First of all, the R25 was easy to set up and it behaved as our simulations had predicted. There were no real weaknesses: it had good aerodynamics, it was stiff, light, stable in high- speed corners and under braking, and it had fantastic cooling. What’s more, although you cannot see them, the electronic systems were almost perfect.”

The Secrets of the RS25 by

A profile of Rob White

Panic, pressure, stress: none of this diabolic trio have any control over the Renault F1 Team’s engine technical director. Rob White, 39, prefers to stay logical. “The restrictions in this job come from the regulations. The limitations are the laws of physics. Our job is to keep on pushing back the boundaries,” he says. began at school for the young engineering enthusiast Rob. At the age of 8, he saw a cartoon strip about Formula 1 in the 1950s and then, as a teenager, he had a racing-mad teacher. His class was set the challenge of designing a go-kart, from A to Z. “We did everything ourselves, from the chassis to the brake callipers,” he remembers. “We even had a -foundry!”

From that point on, engines fascinated him. “I always understood pistons better than suspension!,” he jokes. Rob never imagined he would end up with a role in Formula 1, but events turned out differently. With a Jaguar scholarship in his pocket, he turned down a job working on chassis. Instead, he liked the look of a recruitment notice from , the famous British engine builders. Bingo. Rob worked first on production engines, then moved into racing. He would stay there 17 years. During a decade spent on both sides of the Atlantic, he worked on Indy engines. For example, won the 1997 Indy 500 with one of his engines. By 1997, Rob was headed for Formula 1.

Rob arrived at Renault in 2003. For the Briton, an F1 engine is not anything mysterious. A V10 is born from a process that requires rigorous planning and objectives. “Modern technology allows us to simulate every aspect of a modern F1 engine,” he explains. “Today, you make the difference with rapid decision making, choosing the right areas of research and in allocating your resources. There is no point just designing a wonderful F1 engine. You need to have a quick car… which means a competitive package. Integration is the real watchword in modern F1.”

The RS25 V10 in detail

Proud of its roots “When we designed the RS25, we did so with a two-word objective in mind: world champion. Project leader Axel Plasse and all the engineers at Viry did a fantastic job. The engine was designed to bring together the best bits of the wide-angle RS23, and the more conventional RS24 used last season. Overall, 98% of the components in the RS25 were new. The engine retained the 72° architecture, but with a much lower centre of gravity: we recovered roughly 70% of the difference between the 2004 and 2003 engines. In spite of the extended engine life, which was doubled, the RS25 was no heavier than its predecessor, and we lightened it throughout the year. Finally, we worked a lot on the torque curve to make the power very useable.”

High performance “Performance comes with increased engine speed. Gains were slowed down at the start of the year by the need to meet our reliability targets, but we gradually began increasing the available revs. We finished the season at 19,250 rpm, which was one of the highest useable speeds ever reached by an F1 V10. That was a significant achievement, but we never forget that these gains are no use in isolation. It is only one of the elements that contributes to fast airflow in the engine.”

Chassis integration “Power gains are always a priority for an engine builder, but not the only one. We wanted the RS25 to be a proper racing engine, which meant it had to be driveable. There was no point looking for

unnecessarily complex technical solutions, for their own sake. It was a realistic approach: the engine should almost disappear in the car.”

Reliability “The 2005 engine met its objectives on this point. We only had two problems during a race weekend, but that’s still two too many. Apart from Giancarlo’s engine failure in Bahrain and the precautionary engine change in Spa, there were no major incidents. The RS25 performed as expected, and was able to cope with the challenge of two consecutive races. Having said that, a failure is never acceptable. We set ourselves the goal of zero defect reliability, and we are working on it!

Continuous development “Our strategy this year has been to work on big steps with constant small changes. Of course, each engine was built to a slightly different specification according to the demands of the circuit in question, but in terms of major technical evolutions, we preferred to make four big steps rather than ten small ones. In this light, the B spec introduced in Barcelona was a major step. We were also pleased to use that engine sooner than expected thanks to the hard work of the team, who approved and built an engine for Giancarlo in time for Imola. The C spec introduced in Silverstone allowed us to reach 19,000 rpm for the first time. And the D spec introduced in Brazil immediately demonstrated its worth. Finally, the E spec used in China was fantastic: we produced the most powerful Renault V10 of all time.”

Fast and accurate decisions “When the FIA officially announced that engine life had to be doubled, we were already well advanced with the design of the RS25. That meant we had to make some important decisions without any reference points. There were some bold choices, but if I had to highlight one of the great strengths at Viry, it is our ability to make the right choices and find the best compromise. Another example would be the damage suffered by Fernando’s engine in Bahrain. We analysed all the parameters, and chose to run it in the race. It was the right decision.”

The end of the V10 story “I prefer to look forward, not back. But I am nevertheless fascinated by the technical progress that has been made in F1, and the V10 was an innovative solution when it made its debut. It was a pragmatic approach, that everybody gradually adopted. In recent years, though, the V10 wasn’t necessarily the most appropriate solution for what the sport has become. If the regulations were still open, many engine manufacturers would have produced a V12. It would have provided the best compromise in terms of weight/power/fuel consumption and packaging. Next year’s V8 will have more in common with this year’s engine than the V8’s which were used in 1993 or 1994. You never make a backward step on Formula 1. The engines of the future will all have some V10 DNA.”

R25 – RS11 Chassis Comparison

1979 Season,

Drivers Jean-Pierre Jabouille, René Arnoux Cars used RS01 until introduction of RS10 in Spain Points scored 26 Victories 1 Pole positions 6

The 1979 season marked the first time that Renault had participated in every Grand Prix in a Formula 1 season. It also marked the first occasion on which Renault entered two cars, with René Arnoux recruited to drive the second Renault.

The year was dominated by ’s Ferrari, with the South African winning the World Championship.

The 1979 season saw the first pole position for Renault at on 2nd March 1979, with Jean-Pierre Jabouille at the wheel of the 1978 car RS01/02. This was Jabouille’s third season with the Renault team.

On 1 July 1979, Jabouille took Renault’s first Formula 1 race victory, driving to an uneventful victory in the French Grand Prix at the wheel of chassis RS11 (the second of the 1979 chassis). This car was then converted at the end of the 1979 season to become RE20, which competed the following year and now is housed in Renault’s ‘Histoire et Collection’ heritage department in .

The 1979 French Grand Prix, Jean-Pierre Jabouille “Testing had gone very well during the winter. We all knew the car would win that year. But we just couldn’t say when. The early part of the season reinforced that impression. I had taken pole position in , then several races later we came to the French Grand Prix. Two weeks’ earlier, we had completed the full race distance without any problems. The car was ready.”

“When we arrived in , we were quite confident. I took pole that weekend, but I felt very calm sat on the grid; it was just that all around me, people were clearly feeling the pressure. Everybody was very stressed!”

[Villeneuve’s Ferrari led from the start but Jabouille was simple biding his time and following a tactical race plan.]

“Don’t forget that in those days, we went non-stop start to finish – we had 220 litres of fuel, and you had to manage the tyres very carefully to make it to the end.”

[The Renault took the lead on lap 47, and led all the way to the flag in the .]

“The only thing I was nervous about was that something might go wrong! We had suffered so many problems that I was watching everything, listening to everything, really trying to look after the car. But I was also trying to keep up a good pace – Gilles and René were not so far behind… I only understood how significant the moment was when I got out of the car, that was when it really struck home. Before that, I was happy but tired: the wing cars weren’t easy to drive on a high-speed track.”

The importance of the 1979 French Grand Prix, “That first win was very spectacular. It kindled Renault’s appetite for competition and bit by bit, the team grew in size but it also progressed in terms of performance. The 1983 title escaped us by a whisker but perhaps we weren’t really ready. That relative set-back enabled us to approach our return as engine suppliers in 1989 in ideal conditions.”

Renault Sport Statistics, 1979 Season

Renault Sport RS11 (2nd chassis of 1979 season) 1979 Chassis History Aluminium monocoque construction Chassis JPJ RA aerodynamics 6 speed manual RS01/04 RS01/02 Braking system discs and pads Brazil RS01/04 RS01/03 Electrical Engine control unit by Magneti Marelli South Africa RS01/02 RS01/03 Overall length 4,700 mm 2,890 mm USA RS01/02 RS01/03 Overall width 2,230 mm Spain RS10 RS01/03 Weight (w/o driver) 560 kg Belgium RS10 RS01/03 Engine capacity 1,492 cc V6 turbo, 90° angle Monaco RS11 RS10 Architecture 4 valves per cylinder France RS11 RS12 Turbochargers Twin KKK turbos from Monaco Engine speed 11,000 rpm Great Britain RS11 RS12 Power output 520 bhp at 10,500 rpm RS11 RS12 RS10 [accident damaged] RS11 RS12 RS11 (1st winner) [became RE20] Chassis produced RS12 [became RE21] Holland RS11 RS12 RS14 [became RE22] RS11 RS12 Canada RS14 RS12

USA East RS14 RS12

1979 Season GP Qualifying Race Fastest Lap Points Jabouille Arnoux Jabouille Arnoux Jabouille Arnoux Argentina 12 24 DNF, Engine DNF, Engine 0 0 Brazil 7 11 10 DNF, Accident 0 0 South Africa 1 10 DNF, Valve spring DNF, Tyre exploded 0 0 USA West DNS because of transmission problems Spain 9 11 DNF, Turbo 9 0 0 Belgium 17 18 DNF, Turbo DNF, Turbo 0 0 Monaco 20 19 Not classified DNF, Collision 0 0 France 1 2 1 3 Arnoux 9 4 Great Britain 2 5 DNF, Distribution 2 0 6 Germany 1 10 DNF, Spin DNF, Tyre delamination 0 0 Austria 3 1 DNF, Clutch 6 Arnoux 0 1 Holland 4 1 DNF, Clutch DNF, Collision 0 0 Italy 1 2 DNF, Engine DNF, Valve spring 0 0 Canada 7 8 DNF, Brakes DNF, Collision 0 0 USA East 8 7 DNF, Belt tensioner 2 0 6 Total 4 poles 2 poles 1 win 0 wins 9 17 Championship P13 P8 Constructors' Championship: Renault, 6th position, 26 points

2005 Season, Renault F1 Team

Drivers Fernando Alonso, Giancarlo Fisichella Cars used R25 Points scored 191 Victories 8 Pole positions 7

Renault F1 Team R25 Chassis Carbon fibres and aluminium honeycomb monocoque Front suspension Carbon fibre double wishbones. Rear suspension Carbon fibre double wishbones. Transmission Six speed, semi-automatic; titanium casing Fuel system Kevlar-reinforced rubber cell Cooling system Separate oil and water radiators, airflow cooled Electrical Integrated engine/chassis electronics from Magneti Marelli Carbon discs and pads, Hitco Braking system Calipers, AP Racing Front track 1,450 mm Rear track 1,400 mm Wheel base 3,100 mm Overall length 4,800 mm Overall width 1,800 mm Overall weight 605kg including driver, camera and ballast Renault F1 RS25 Engine

3,000 cc, normally aspirated Capacity 4 valves per cylinder Maximum revs 19,250 rpm end of season Architecture 72° V10 Life 1400 km

2005 Chassis History FA GF T-car Box FA Engine GF Engine Australia R25-04 R25-03 R25-02 n/a RS25A (1) RS25A (1) Malaysia R25-04 R25-03 R25-02 n/a RS25A (2) RS25A (2) Bahrain R25-04 R25-03 R25-02 n/a RS25A (1) RS25A (1) San Marino R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25A (2) RS25A (1) Spain R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25B (1) RS25B (1) Monaco R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 R25-05 RS25B (2) RS25B (2) Europe R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25B (1) RS25B (1) Canada R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25B (2) RS25B (2) Indy R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25B (1) RS25B (1) France R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25B (2) RS25B (2) Great Britain R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25C (1) RS25C (1) Germany R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25C (2) RS25C (2) Hungary R25-04 R25-06 R25-02 n/a RS25C (1) RS25C (1) Turkey R25-07 R25-06 R25-04 n/a RS25C (2) RS25C (2) Italy R25-07 R25-06 R25-04 R25-02 RS25C (1) RS25C (1) Belgium R25-07 R25-06 R25-04 R25-02 RS25C (2) RS25C (2) Brazil R25-07 R25-04 R25-02 n/a RS25C (1) RS25D (1) Japan R25-07 R25-04 R25-02 R25-05 RS25C (2) RS25D (2) China R25-07 R25-04 R25-02 R25-05 RS25E (1) RS25E (1)

Rear wing 2005 Chassis Developments Hungary Rear wing endplates 6 Rear crash structure wing Grand Prix Chassis Developments New assemblies Turkey Top body 11 Australia 7 Front wing and endplates Malaysia Bargeboards 22 Italy Rear wing and endplates 15 Rear wing Bahrain 16 Top body Brake ducts Rear wing Belgium 4 Front wing cascades Rear wing endplates San Marino Front wing 18 Top body Cooling chimneys Brazil Bargeboards 20 Chassis winglets Spain 9 Floor Lighter top body Rear suspension Japan 7 Top body Bargeboards Rear crash structure wing China 2 Bargeboards Monaco Floor 21 Illustrations available on CD: Front wing Front wing endplates Launch car profile Wishbone for steering End of season car profile Europe 2 R25 bodywork and cooling Canada Low-drag rear wing 11 Imola front wing update USA Front wing endplates 14 Monaco front wing endplate update Rear crash structure wing Engine cover France 10 T wing Airbox Great Britain 2 Germany Top body 17

2005 Season GP Qualifying Race Fastest Lap Points Alonso Fisichella Alonso Fisichella Alonso Fisichella Australia 13 1 3 1 Alonso 6 10 Malaysia 1 3 1 DNF, Collision 10 0 Bahrain 1 10 1 DNF, Engine 10 0 San Marino 2 12 1 DNF, Rear suspension 10 0 Spain 3 6 2 5 Fisichella 8 4 Monaco 2 4 4 12 5 0 Europe 6 9 1 6 Alonso 10 3 Canada 3 4 DNF, Accident DNF, Hydraulic 0 0 USA 6 4 Did Not Start Did Not Start 0 0 France 1 6 1 6 10 3 Great Britain 1 6 2 4 8 5 Germany 3 4 1 4 10 5 Hungary 6 9 11 9 0 0 Turkey 3 2 2 4 8 5 Italy 2 8 2 3 8 6 Belgium 4 13 2 DNF, Accident 8 0 Brazil 1 3 3 5 6 4 Japan 16 3 3 2 6 8 China 1 2 1 4 10 5 Total 6 poles 1 pole 7 wins 1 win 133 58 Championship P1 P5 Renault F1 Team, World Constructors' Champions; Fernando Alonso, World Drivers' Champion

RS25 – RS1 Engine Comparison

1989 Season, Williams-Renault

Drivers , Cars used Williams-Renault FW12B Williams-Renault FW13 Renault Sport RS1 Points scored 77 Victories 2 Pole positions 1

1989 marked Renault’s return to Formula 1, following a two-year absence after the Régie withdrew from supplying V6 turbo engines in 1986.

The company returned as an engine supplier with a new concept – the normally-aspirated V10 engine. This 3.5 litre unit was prepared at Viry-Châtillon under the leadership of Bernard Dudot during the two year hiatus, and became a winner in its first season.

Thierry Boutsen scored the first Grand Prix victory for a Renault V10 engine in Canada in June, leading home team-mate Riccardo Patrese in a Williams-Renault 1-2 finish. Patrese took the engine’s first pole position in Hungary, while the second win came for Boutsen in the season-ending .

The RS1 powered Williams-Renault to second position in the 1989 World Constructor’s Championship.

The F1 return, Raymond H Levy, then Renault Chairman “When we left Formula 1, we hadn’t thrown in the towel; we were merely pausing for breath. As soon as the company could see the way out of its wider financial problems, we decided to return to Formula 1. We had to do it.”

“Throughout its history, Renault has been competing at the highest levels of world motorsport. It is part of the company’s character. But it was no longer a question of building the car ourselves. Our role as an engine supplier would allow us to express our expertise in the most efficient manner possible.”

“Results soon demonstrated the talent and determination of our engineers. We had established a group to monitor the technological evolutions in the sport during our absence, under the leadership of Bernard Dudot. And thanks to them, results came almost immediately.”

Renault Sport RS1 Engine Capacity 3,500 cc normally aspirated Maximum revs 13,000 rpm Architecture 67° V10 Life 300 km

1989 Season GP Qualifying Race Fastest Lap Points Patrese Boutsen Patrese Boutsen Patrese Boutsen Brazil 2 4 DNF, Alternator DNF, Enigne Patrese 0 0 San Marino 4 6 DNF, Engine 4 0 3 Monaco 7 3 15 10 0 0 Mexico 5 8 2 DNF, Electrical 6 0 USA 14 16 2 6 6 1 Canada 3 6 2 1 6 9 France 8 5 3 DNF, Gearbox 4 0 Great Britain 5 7 DNF, Accident 10 0 0 Germany 5 6 4 DNF, Accident 3 0 Hungary 1 4 DNF, Radiator 3 0 4 Belgium 5 4 DNF, Accident 4 0 3 Italy 5 6 4 3 3 4 Portugal 6 8 DNF, Radiator DNF, Radiator 0 0 Spain 6 21 5 DNF, Fuel pump 2 0 Japan 5 7 2 3 6 4 Australia 6 5 3 1 4 9 Total 1 pole 0 poles 0 wins 2 wins 40 37 Championship P3 P5 Constructors' Championship: Williams-Renault, 2nd position, 77 points

2005 Season, Renault F1 Team

Drivers Fernando Alonso, Giancarlo Fisichella Cars used R25 Points scored 191 Victories 8 Pole positions 7

Renault F1 RS25 Engine 3,000 cc, normally aspirated Capacity 4 valves per cylinder Maximum revs 19,250 rpm end of season Architecture 72° V10 Life 1400 km

2005 Engine History FA Engine GF Engine Australia RS25A (1) RS25A (1) Malaysia RS25A (2) RS25A (2) Bahrain RS25A (1) RS25A (1) San Marino RS25A (2) RS25B (1) Spain RS25B (1) RS25B (1) Monaco RS25B (2) RS25B (2) Europe RS25B (1) RS25B (1) Canada RS25B (2) RS25B (2) Indy RS25B (1) RS25B (1) France RS25B (2) RS25B (2) Great Britain RS25C (1) RS25C (1) Germany RS25C (2) RS25C (2) Hungary RS25C (1) RS25C (1) Turkey RS25C (2) RS25C (2) Italy RS25C (1) RS25C (1) Belgium RS25C (2) RS25C (2) Brazil RS25C (1) RS25D (1) Japan RS25C (2) RS25D (2) China RS25E (1) RS25E (1)

RS25 Engine Developments RS25 A GP1 spec. 18750 Q / 18500 R. Australia GP5 spec. 18750 Q / 18500 R. RS25 B San Marino (GF) Spain (FA) Weight reduction. New cylinder head. New fuel injection system. GP11 spec. 19000 Q / 18750 R. RS25 C GB Mechanical and tuning changes to accompany increased RPM. GP17 spec. 19000 Q / 18750 R. RS25 D Brazil New bottom end. Friction improvement, weight reduction of moving parts. GP19 spec. 19250 Q / 19000 R. 1 Race special. RS25 E China Weight reduction. New cylinder head. Mechanical and tuning changes for increased RPM.

Renault V10 History 1989 - 2005 1989 1990 1991 1992 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Total

Engine RS1 RS2 RS3 RS3 RS4 RS5 RS6 RS7 RS8 RS9 RS21 RS22 RS23 RS24 RS25 Evolutions A/B/C/D C A/B C A A/B A/B/C A/B/C A/B A/../E A/../C2 A/../H A/B/C/D A/B/C/D/E Capacity (cc) 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3500 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000

Max revs 13000 13500 14000 14000 14500 14800 15300 16400 16800 17500 17500 17750 18000 18500 19250 Architecture 67° 67° 67° 67° 67° 67° 67° 67° 67° 72° Wide Wide Wide 72° 72° Wins 2 2 7 8 2 10 7 16 12 9 0 0 1 1 8 85

Poles 1 1 6 8 7 15 6 16 12 13 0 0 2 3 7 97 Championships 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 13

Congratulations to the Renault F1 Team

Japan Tobacco Katsuhiko , President and CEO, Japan Tobacco Inc.

Congratulations to Fernando Alonso on winning the Drivers' Championship and to your team on winning the Constructors Championship.

It goes without saying this it is your continued efforts and expertise that carried the day. I would like to express my high admiration and regard for your ability to find the young talent and responsiveness to address the race regulations swiftly. Your success has encouraged us all tremendously and filled us with pride in continuing our sponsorship for twelve years.

We congratulate you again and wish you and your team further success.

Elf Jean-Paul Vettier, Managing Director, Total Refining-Marketing We send our sincere congratulations to all at the Renault F1 Team for these two world titles, the World Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. This double triumph is also a reward for the commitment and professionalism of our teams alongside Renault. We have an exemplary level of cooperation between our teams, and this season’s double triumph takes our shared total to 11 World Champion titles.

Denis Marcel, Total Competition Manager Bravo on your double win. We are particularly proud of this result. The close collaboration with the Renault F1 Team’s engineers has allowed us to constantly optimise the solutions we develop throughout the car: engine, gearbox, transmission, hydraulics, bearings, cooling… Our progress has been reflected in the rise in performance of the Renault F1 Team, and notably by a gain of several tens of horsepower.

Michelin Pierre Dupasquier It has been a fantastic season for Fernando, Renault and Michelin. The World Championship(s) exemplifies/exemplify the sporting values of both companies and our dedication to the team spirit of racing and fair competition. I am very proud that we are associated with these World titles and want to congratulate both Fernando Alonso and everyone at Renault F1 Team. They make a superb team and are great ambassadors for the sport.

Hanjin Shipping Hanjin Shipping would like to extend its warm congratulations to Fernando Alonso, Giancarlo Fisichella and the entire Renault F1 Team for winning the 2005 Formula One Drivers and Constructors Championships.

Mr Sooho Cho, Chairman of Hanjin Shipping commented: “As a long term partner of the Renault F1 Team, it gives great pleasure in seeing the continuous development and improvement resulting in this Championship winning year. The commitment shown in fighting for the Constructor’s Championship under such circumstances demonstrates an exceptional desire to succeed.”

Both Hanjin and the Renault F1 Team share in the philosophy that hard work and determination leads to success, and both organisations have enjoyed the benefits of their successful partnership over the years. Now the entire Hanjin organisation looks forward with high expectations to an even more successful 2006 season. i-mode Congratulations on your outstanding victory in the 2005 Constructors' Championship and Drivers' Championship!

Everyone in NTT DoCoMo was elated to watch the team win the double Championship in the second year of our sponsorship.

Our brand and service name, “i-mode”, has been launched in many parts of the world including the Team's home country, the UK, enabling seamless internet value on mobile phones. This year, the Renault F1 Team's splendid double victory has contributed even further to i-mode’s global brand value, and I thank the Team for its support.

It goes without saying that it is the Team's expertise and devotion that carried it through this victorious season. We are sure that millions of fans were inspired by the Team's success. We congratulate all of you again, and wish you success next season. i-mode is proud to be a Renault F1 Team partner.

Telefonica Francisco de Bergia, General Manager of Sponsorship and External Relations, Telefonica S.A. Telefonica would like to congratulate Fernando Alonso and the Renault F1 Team for this well deserved and prestigious title that recognises its talent, its sporting spirit and effort. In Spain, both the team and Fernando Alonso have achieved an awareness for Formula One that was unthinkable a few years ago and are an example and model for many people

Guru Matteo Cambi The World Drivers’ Championship is the crowning achievement of a fantastic and exciting season that was full of achievement. Fernando has demonstrated he is not only talented but that he also possesses determination and undisputable class. With great humility, he was able to impose himself race after race and to reach an objective that was written in his DNA. Guru is extremely proud to have associated its name to the Renault F1 Team and to Fernando who, like Guru have a history of great vision and success. Thank you for allowing us take together this important chequered flag, with the wish that it will be the first of a long series.

Chronotech Giovanni Fasciano It is with great pride that I express, also on behalf of the Chronotech team, the greatest congratulations to Fernando and the entire Renault F1 Team for their great achievements on the track. You brought us very intense emotions and we are proud to be sharing with you the joy of this deserved victory. Like you, we feel like a team. We know from direct experience that victory is the reward for everybody's efforts and that you deserve it all! Go on like this!

Mutua Madrilena José Mª Ramírez Pomatta, President Mutua Madrileña Renault F1 Team has provided a masterclass in managment, organisation and sporting results. They have demonstrated that Formula 1 is about much more than financial investment. At Mutua Madrileña, we are delighted with the results and very proud to share the same spirit and values that have led the Renault F1 Team and Fernando Alonso to be number one in the world.

Renault Staff

Germany Kai Blume, Manager, Logistics for Attachments, Accessories and Recycling I am very pleased with Fernando Alonso’s victory. It is an historic win, because Fernando is the youngest champion in F1 history. I wouldn’t have bet on Fernando winning the championship at the start of the year, even though he won some races, so for me it is a great surprise. This win is very valuable to Renault, and shows the excellent work that Renault and the team have done to win. Internally, this victory definitely helps the motivation of the whole company.

UK Andy Hieron, Field Support Manager, Service and Quality Renault’s involvement in F1 puts the company among the best carmakers, and reinforces our expertise in terms of technology and reliability. Fernando Alonso is a complete young driver with huge talent. He also drives one of the best cars on the grid. Renault is now responsible for developing the entire package, and if we win, then the benefit is 100% focused on the company. Nobody can stay at the top indefinitely, especially given the amounts of money our competitors are investing. Ferrari dominated F1 for a long time, and to break that run makes the win even more special. I am not crazy about motorsport, but I am pleased for the team and Fernando Alonso. And my children of 7 and 8 are even more so! So what more can we do? The critics will say ‘not win’, but I hope we can carry on doing it to prove we are capable of winning the world championship for a second time.

Finland Minna Hjelm – Marketing Planner, Renault Finland The 2005 season was enough to make Finns working for Renault a bit schizophrenic! Who is my favourite: Renault driver Fernando, or Finn Kimi Raikkonen?! Both are very quick drivers, and I admire them for that reason. But they are very different away from the track. Fernando is open, young and charming. You cannot say the same about Kimi. So Fernando gets my vote! The media stressed the excellent reliability of the R25 throughout the year, and because Finland follows F1 so closely, that was positive for Renault’s image. Renault’s brand awareness is much higher now than that of a simple engine supplier. It is nice to beat Ferrari, but our main rival was Mercedes Benz.

Italy Renata de Lima, Sales and Aftersales Department I am very pleased with this victory, especially because it gives us the opportunity to cultivate this successful image, be it in sport or in terms of producing forward-thinking road cars.

Spain Luis Sampedro Medina, Supplier Quality at Engine Plant Does Fernando’s title make you proud to belong to the Renault Group?

Of course. I have been with Renault for 36 years now, and when I see the races on TV, it makes me very proud to belong to the company. I went to Montmelo to see the , and it made us very proud to see all the grandstands decked out in blue. What’s more, it gives the company a reason to be proud as well because it is a fantastic advert for our cars. With this double championship, the image of our cars is very strong.

Turkey, Renault MAIS (commercial subsidiary) Filiz Mercan, IT Support and Customer Applications Manager What has been your experience of Renault’s F1 involvement? I think it motivates everybody who works for Renault. The image of the company is changing for us and for our customers, it is becoming sportier.

Ercüment Çakıcı, Business Centre Manager Fernando Alonso has become world champion: what do you think? In my opinion, it is more a success for the Renault F1 Team, and not just that of Fernando Alonso. The reliability of his car was a key factor for his success. I think half of the win is for the driver, the other half for the car.

Renault F1 Team Key Personnel

President Chassis race engineers Managing Director FA: Rod Nelson Flavio Briatore GF: Alan Permane

Chassis performance engineers FA: John McGill Technical Director (Chassis) GF: Dave Greenwood Bob Bell Control engineers Deputy Managing Director, Technical FA: Martyn Gunson Rob White GF: Dave Broadribb

Deputy Managing Director, Support Ops André Lainé Engine race engineers FA: Rémi Taffin GF: Fabrice Lom Executive Director of Engineering Pat Symonds Engine technicians FA: Pascal Aragnouet Head of Engine Operations GF: Sylvain Fournigault Denis Chevrier

Chief Mechanic Chief Designer Jonathan Wheatley Tim Densham Car 5 (Alonso) Engine Project Leader Number 1, Chris Hessey Axel Plasse Car 6 (Fisichella) Number 1, Greg Baker

Sporting Manager T-car Steve Nielsen Number 1, Barry Mortimer

Chief Test Engineer Christian Silk

Chief Test Engineer (Engine) Mathieu Dubois

The A to Z of the 2005 Season

The Renault F1 Team takes you behind the scenes with some key words… from Alan to Zen.

Alan (Permane): Bat, as he is nicknamed, was Giancarlo Fisichella’s race engineer when the Italian drove for Benetton. Coming back to Enstone, Fisi found a friend. “I started my F1 career with Benetton. It was in 1989, and I had just spent five years studying electronics,” he explains. “The team only had 80 people back then! I spent three years with the test team, working on all the electrical systems: data acquisition, sensors, … In 1992, I joined the race team in the same role. Then in 1996, I completely changed direction. I became Pat Symonds’ assistant engineer when he was running . Pat gave me a solid grounding in engineering, and from there, the job was totally different – a world away from electronics! I got down to work, enjoyed it and, in 1997, I became a race engineer. From 1998 to 2001, I worked with Giancarlo Fisichella – and it was a pleasure to renew our relationship this year.”

Buccatini alla Matriciana: Giancarlo’s favourite pasta dish, that he often insists on preparing himself. There’s no point asking for the recipe – he won’t give it to you. An Italian tradition, apparently…

Campeon del mundo: Fernando’s new title after 2005. Michael Schumacher, Fernando’s predecessor in the role, congratulated the Spaniard warmly. “You had a great season, and deserve this reward,” he said. The Renault F1 Team is also enjoying the status after their triumph in Shanghai.

Denis (Chevrier): The Renault F1 Team’s head of engine operations. Denis arrived at Renault in 1985, and he is Renault through and through. He has mixed with the greats: as race engineer, he worked with (1992), (1993), (1996) and Jacques Villeneuve (1997) in their title years. “On a human level, I have known some extraordinary people. And that is the main thing. My job may be primarily technical and mechanical, but F1 is all about passion.” He enjoyed the winning of a 6th drivers’ crown this year!

Enstone: Built in 1992, hidden away from prying eyes in Oxfordshire, , the Whiteways Technical Centre is the Renault F1 Team’s British arm. 500 employees work 24 hours a day to produce the cars that bear the Renault diamond, from research and development to design and production… and of course racing. Technical operations are co-ordinated by Bob Bell. The team’s chief designer, Tim Densham, is assisted by Martin Tolliday. The two men share the workload to ensure technical continuity from one car to the next, long term development, engine-chassis strategy with Viry-Châtillon and advanced projects with the team’s partners.

Football: Fernando and Giancarlo’s passion. The former is a huge Real Madrid fan, while the Italian loves AS Roma. They never turn down a quick kick around… even in the paddock.

Guyancourt: the town where the Renault Technocentre is based, including around twenty engineers who have worked on the F1 programme in recent seasons. “It is a very important relationship at several levels,” explains Bob Bell. “Firstly, it allows us to solve technical problems. Next, it gives us the opportunity to work with highly qualified individuals without needing to recruit them full time. I think that when our colleagues from the Technocentre leave Enstone at the end of their time with us, they have a deeper engineering expertise. Our working methods, product cycles and deadlines are all useful when they return to base. Both sides benefit from the exchange…”

Hannibal: the name of Fernando’s Chihuahua. It is also a famous character played by the Spaniard’s favourite actor, Anthony Hopkins.

Iceman: the nickname of Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando’s main rival for the world title. Both men finished the season with 7 victories each. The Finn was the subject of all the talk in the Melbourne paddock in 2001. Kimi, whose experience in racing cars amounted to a total of 23 races, made his F1 debut in a Sauber that season. At the time, the FIA had only given the young driver a four race provisional superlicence!

Juan Carlos: the King of Spain has called Fernando after each major achievement in recent years. He was among the first to salute the young driver after his triumph in Brazil. “You give Spain a reason to be proud,” he said.

Karting: the discipline where both Renault F1 Team drivers made their motorsport debut.

Luna: the name of Giancarlo’s partner, and mother of his two children, Carlotta and Christopher.

Minardi: the team where both Renault F1 Team drivers made their F1 debut, Giancarlo in 1996 and Fernando in 2001.

Nano: it’s one of Fernando’s many nicknames. In the team, he has others: Gonzo, Fer, Ferni… any one of which works at different times!

Oviedo: Fernando’s hometown, in the Asturias region of northern Spain. “Unfortunately, I can’t walk around there anonymously any more,” explains the World Champion. More than 30,000 people welcomed him when he returned at the end of October.

Pat (Symonds): the Renault F1 Team strategy guru, who battled it out with McLaren until the end of the season. One of his best moments was in Shanghai. He made the team’s rivals think the R25 wasn’t competitive with a number of different ruses… before surprising them with the car’s race pace!

Qualifying: the Renault R25 started from pole position 7 times this year (Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, France, Great Britain, Brazil and China). It also started from the front row four times, giving a total of 11 front row starts in 19 races.

Rod (Nelson): Fernando’s race engineer. “Fernando is one of the best drivers out of there, I’m convinced of it,” he says. He summarises the Spaniard’s strengths in a few words: “Amazing determination, exceptional speed and consistency, total self confidence, and total immunity to outside pressure.”

Sao Paulo: the city where Fernando Alonso took this year’s world title. By finishing third behind the McLaren pair, the Spaniard scored the points he needed to get an unassailable lead in the championship.

Toma!: Since he started with Renault, Fernando Alonso has driven according to a single motto: “Toma!” which means ‘come on!’, a spontaneous explosion of joy, the celebration of a great effort, the final expression of determination and deserved success. That summarises Fernando perfectly: succinct, direct and passionate. This was the first word that came out of Fernando’s lips when he climbed onto the nose of his R25 and enjoyed the applause that rang down from all sides of parc fermé.

UNICEF: Fernando Alonso has been an ambassador for the Spanish committee of UNICEF since February 2005. In this role, he visited children in the Brazilian favela of Monte Azul before this year’s

race in Sao Paulo, to learn more about the organisation and meet some of his youngest fans. “It is a privilege for me to be able to come here with UNICEF and use my name to take part in projects like this, to bring some attention and recognition to them,” he said.

Viry: Renault Sport based itself in Viry-Châtillon in the south of Paris in 1976. Since 1992, the Technical Centre has been home to the development of Renault’s F1 engines. Within its walls, 250 people work on the design, development and running of the V10. This work is coordinated by engine technical director Rob White. Two project leaders alternate from year to year. Axel Plasse was responsible for the 2005 RS25 V10, while Léon Taillieu has been responsible for the 2006 V8.

Wheatley (Jonathan): Jonathan Wheatley, Chief Mechanic, is in charge of the mechanics’ work in the garage. “I ensure the communication between the engineers and mechanics,” he explains. “Any work done on the cars is my responsibility.” Jonathan ensures the cars hit the track in the right specification, allocates the work to be done on the cars, and coordinates and organises the pit-stops. With one golden rule: “Never do anything without being told you can,” he explains. The organisation around each car is similar: a number 1 mechanic (responsible for the car), two number 2 mechanics (one at the front, one at the rear), a composites specialist, a hydraulics man and finally a gearbox mechanic. Three all- purpose mechanics also contribute. Overall, 9 people work on each R25, and in addition there are engine mechanics, plus the chassis and engine engineers, electronics specialists and representatives from Michelin, Elf, and Hitco for the brakes…

XXL: The Renault F1 Team’s objectives for 2006! “There is just one goal: to do it again next year,” confirms Team President Patrick Faure. “Becoming champion is easier than staying there. There is still plenty of work to do.”

Yacht: In Monaco, Giancarlo chooses to moor his boat in the harbour and stay there with his family. It’s a bit different to the usual hotel room.

Zen: Fernando Alonso’s attitude throughout the season. “I am not at all worried,” he said ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. “I might be close to the title, but I am approaching this race like any other. We were quick in Brazil over the last few years, and the car is more competitive in every area this year. I can’t wait to race there.”

The 2005 season in numbers

The key statistics from a championship season for the Renault F1 Team.

0.06: It is the very low friction coefficient of the greases in the transmission of the R25. That is roughly twenty times lower than on a normal road car.

0.3: The rough penalty, in lap-time, for carrying 10 kg of fuel on an average circuit.

7: The number of pole positions for the Renault F1 Team in 2005: Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, France, Great Britain, Brazil and China. It is also the number of races Fernando won: Malaysia, Bahrain, San Marino, Europe, France, Germany and China.

9: The weight, in kilograms, of the fuel the Renault F1 Team’s rigs pump into the R25 per second.

18: The number of podiums won by the Renault F1 Team in nineteen races.

70: An approximate figure for the number of litres of Elf fuel used by the R25 per 100 km.

100. The pressure in tonnes per square metre on certain parts of the RS25 engine, such as the distribution system.

105: The number of Grand Prix victories scored by a Renault-powered car.

130: The noise level, in decibels, of the RS25 engine at full revs.

133: The number of points scored by Fernando Alonso this year. Aside from Michael Schumacher (2002 and 2004 with 144 and 148 pts), no other driver has ever scored so many points in a season.

147: The number of pole positions won by Renault engines in F1 since 1977.

191: The total points score of the Renault F1 Team this year. No team has ever scored so many, except Ferrari in 2002 and 2004.

192: The number of Grands Prix in which Renault powered cars have participated, from Silverstone 1977 to Shanghai 2005.

200: The number of chemical families (molecules) in the specially-formulated fuel burned by the RS25, bringing a significant horsepower gain.

280: The number of podiums scored by a Renault engine since 1977.

452: The number of laps completed in the lead by the Renault F1 Team this year.

600: A piston goes from 0 to 37 m/s 600 times a second when the engine is running at full revs. In these conditions, the thickness of the oil between certain parts is just several thousandths of a micron, and the pressures involved can exceed a GigaPascal (100 tonnes2).

2,500: The average number of gearchanges during a Grand Prix.

9,200: The number of kilometres a 100% Renault car has spent in the lead since 1977.

9,700: The total distance in km completed by the Renault F1 Team in races this year.

16,650: The number of racing laps a 100% Renault car has completed since 1977.

19,000: The engine speed exceeded by the RS25 during the race in Shanghai.

79,000: The total number of kilometres a 100% Renault car has completed in race conditions since Silverstone 1977.

259,000: The total distance in km completed by Renault works engines since Renault arrived in F1.